Zacusca

Gastronomically speaking, autumn does have its perks. It is perhaps the most abundant season of the year. It is also the time Romanian householders prepare a wide variety of canned food for the harsh winter ahead. One such dish is zacusca, a popular vegetable spread in Romania, obtained from aubergines, flat pepper, sweet red kapia pepper, bell pepper, tomatoes and onions.

Ștefan Baciu, 18.10.2013, 13:24

Gastronomically speaking, autumn does have its perks. It is perhaps the most abundant season of the year. It is also the time Romanian householders prepare a wide variety of canned food for the harsh winter ahead. One such dish is zacusca, a popular vegetable spread in Romania, obtained from aubergines, flat pepper, sweet red kapia pepper, bell pepper, tomatoes and onions.

It’s an easy dish to prepare, although quite time-consuming. You need 8 kilos of aubergines, 4 kilos of flat peppers, sweet red kapia peppers and bell peppers, 1 litre of fresh tomato juice or 2 kilos of tomatoes, 1 kg of onions, sunflower oil, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Roast the aubergines and peppers black over an open flame. You can use a gas stove or a grill. Peel off and remove the skins of the vegetables.

Sautée the onion and then mix in the chopped or pureed vegetables. Add the tomato juice along with several tablespoons of sunflower oil. Leave to simmer over a low heat or in the oven until only the oil runs off the spoon when a spoonful of zacusca is removed. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the mixture into sterilized jars of your choosing. Wipe rims clean and place lids and rings on the jars. Place the jars in a large pot filled with water and leave to boil for 15 minutes. Serve as spread, starter or side dish.

Enjoy!