Ajvar

Ingredients

• 2 kg red roasting peppers, ideally the long horned kurtovska kapija variety
• 500 g aubergine (1 large)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 150 ml sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar

Before you cook

• Wash the peppers and dry them thoroughly so the skins blister rather than steam.
• Prick the aubergine six or seven times with a fork so it does not burst.
• Line two large baking trays with foil.
• Set out a large heatproof bowl and a plate that fits neatly inside its rim.
• Sterilise four 250 ml jars and their lids ready for filling.

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 240C fan, or light a charcoal grill and let the coals burn down to white ash.
2. Spread the whole peppers and the aubergine over the lined trays in a single layer.
3. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, turning everything twice, until the pepper skins are black and blistered and the aubergine has collapsed.
4. Tip the hot vegetables into the large bowl and cover it tightly with the plate.
5. Leave them to steam for 20 minutes so the skins loosen.
6. Peel the blackened skin off each pepper with your fingers, then pull out the stems and seeds.
7. Scoop the aubergine flesh away from its skin with a spoon and discard the skin.
8. Sit the peeled peppers in a colander for 20 minutes to drain off the watery juices that would otherwise thin the ajvar.
9. Pulse the peppers, aubergine and garlic in a food processor to a coarse, slightly rough purée rather than a smooth one.
10. Pour the sunflower oil into a wide heavy pan and warm it over medium-low heat.
11. Add the purée and stir it through the oil.
12. Cook for 90 minutes to 2 hours, stirring every few minutes with a wooden spoon and scraping the base each time.
13. Watch for the moment the ajvar darkens to brick red and a spoon dragged across the base leaves a clean trail that holds.
14. Stir in the vinegar, salt and sugar and cook for a final 5 minutes.
15. Taste and add more salt or vinegar until the sweetness and sharpness sit in balance.
16. Spoon the hot ajvar into the sterilised jars, seal them, and turn them upside down to cool.