Recipe: Roasted Peppers, Onion, and Eggplant (Escalivada, Spanish)

ROASTED PEPPERS, ONION, AND EGGPLANT
(ESCALIVADA)

"Served hot, at room temperature, or chilled, this versatile vegetable melange shows up frequently on Catalan menus."

3 large red bell peppers
3 small Italian eggplants (1 lb total), halved lengthwise
About 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use*
1 large sweet onion, halved through root end and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place whole peppers in one third of an oiled, large 1-inch-deep baking pan.

Brush cut sides of eggplants with 1/2 tablespoon oil and arrange next to peppers in pan.

Toss onion with 1 tablespoon oil and spread in remaining third of pan.

Roast vegetables, turning peppers occasionally, until skins of peppers blister on all sides, about 40 minutes.

Transfer peppers to a bowl, cover, and let steam 10 minutes. Continue roasting eggplants and onion until tender and browned, 20 to 30 minutes more, and keep warm, covered.

Peel peppers and cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips, discarding stems and seeds. Season vegetables with sea salt and pepper.

Serve eggplants topped with peppers and onion. Drizzle with remaining oil and season with sea salt.

*We love to use Unio, a fragrant, peppery oil made from the region's arbequina olives, both for cooking this dish and for drizzling over it.

Makes 6 servings
Source: Gourmet magazine article: Spain's Melting Pot, March 2000