Alyson with caviar-in-waiting
I first discovered eggplant caviar while living in Russia. This is how Amy and I made it this year, and Tereza agrees with me that it's amazingly similar to the Baklazhannaya Ikra we have eaten in Russia. It's a sweet, savory, spreadable mixture that can be stirred into other dishes for added richness and flavor, or (this is best in my opinion) spread on a piece of hot flatbread and stuffed directly into one's mouth. There is no fish or roe in the recipe; Russians call all manner of tasty spreads "caviar". We were fortunate to obtain all the vegetables directly from our own gardens right before cooking. Ah, harvest season!
Ingredients:
10 lbs. eggplant
1 lb. onions, leeks, or shallots
2 1/2 lbs. red bell peppers
1 large head garlic
a few carrots (optional)
3 lbs. tomatoes, a "meaty" variety such as Amish Paste
1 Tbl. ground black pepper
1/4 c. vinegar
oil
salt
(makes about 10 pints)
The eggplant can be roasted whole in a hot oven and then peeled, or it can be fried by the slice. To fry, cut the eggplant into slices about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt, place slices on end in a large bowl or other container, and leave to drain for at least 30 minutes (preferably longer).
Meanwhile, make a hot fire in the cookstove and set a large pot of water on to boil. Chop onions, red peppers, and garlic. Saute these in an oiled skillet until onions are translucent and peppers are soft and sweet but not brown. Cut and saute carrots if you are using them. Set aside all sauteed veggies.
Peel tomatoes by blanching them in the boiling water for a minute or so, cooling them in cold water, and removing peels. Cut into sections and remove seeds by gently squeezing them out into a separate dish. Compost the peels and seeds. Cook down the tomatoes for a little while over low heat until you obtain a sweet sauce.
Rinse eggplant slices and press between layers of kitchen towel firmly to draw out liquid. Fry slices well in plenty of oil until soft and browned. When cool, remove and compost the skins by peeling them off each slice. This is messy but kind of fun.
Process eggplant together with all the other cooked vegetables in a food processor, or put through a meat grinder. Add black pepper and vinegar and blend well. Taste for salt and add if needed. Gently cook the whole mixture over low heat for awhile, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick, until the flavors are "married" and you like the taste. Eat immediately, or…
To pressure can, fill ten 1-pint jars with hot caviar up to one inch below the rim and seal with canning lids. Pressure can for one hour at 10 lbs. pressure. Eat when the urge hits.
Priyatnogo apetita!
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