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Eggplant, peppers, onions, and tomatoes slow-roasted over the dying embers of a fire. Sounds romantic, tastes delicious.
By
J. Kenji López-Alt
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/kenji-lopez-alt-9e7ff3ba54e24328a853d774a05fd4b8.jpg "Catalan-Style Ash-Roasted Vegetables (Escalivada) Recipe (1)")
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process
Updated November 17, 2023
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:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__recipes__images__2013__04__20130410-escalivada-catalana-3-abb4ed2c91e24cb3af5c6b97b77f87f8.jpg "Catalan-Style Ash-Roasted Vegetables (Escalivada) Recipe (2)")
Why It Works
- Slow-roasting vegetables in the residual heat of a fire is an efficient use of fuel.
- Wrapping the vegetables in foil allows you to bury them in a nearly-spent fire for a long, slow cook without the need to worry about ashes getting on the vegetables or excessive charring.
I'm the kind of guy who when he grills, hegrills. You know how when your dad gets a new electric sander for Christmas and he just can't find enough things to sand? When I light up a chimney of coals, there is no safe spot in the kitchen for the vegetables to hide. Theywillmake their way to a delicious, smoky end, and I'm going to get as much use out of those coals as possible.
Eggplant, red peppers, onions, and tomatoes all slow-roasted in the ashes of a dying fire not only sounds romantic, but it's also a practical (and delicious) way to cook something even as the fire is on its way out. As the story goes, Catalan shepherds would build fires in their fields to stay warm during the cool morning hours. As the day wore on, the fires would die out, but not before the shepherds placed a medley of vegetables into its hot ashes. By the time suppertime rolled around, the vegetables would be completely tender. The shepherds would then take the vegetables, slice them into strips, mix them with plenty of excellent Spanish olive oil, and much feasting would be had.
The easiest way to do this at home is toindividually wrap eggplant, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes in foil along with some olive oil,then to place those foil parcels on the remains of a fire after a grilling session. Within a couple of hours, the vegetables should be meltingly tender, ready to be chopped, mixed, and eaten for lunch the next day. If you aren't overly concerned with food safety issues, you can even let them rest on the ashes all night and collect them in the morning.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2013__04__20130410-escalivada-catalana-1-c76554245d40459490c1a9316e642e97.jpg "Catalan-Style Ash-Roasted Vegetables (Escalivada) Recipe (3)")
The flavors arealmost ratatouille-esque, though the texture is far creamierand more luxurious than any ratatouille I've ever had. Somewhere between a grilled vegetable and a sauce, it's best eaten scooped up with good crusty bread or pita. I like to finish mine off with a sprinkle of parsley, more olive oil (never enough!), and a drizzle of sherry vinegar, which brightens up the whole, smoky affair.
April 2013
Recipe Details
Catalan-Style Ash-Roasted Vegetables (Escalivada) Recipe
Prep5 mins
Cook2 hrs
Active5 mins
Total2 hrs 5 mins
Serves4to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 large bell pepper
- 1 small onion (unpeeled)
- 3 to 4 Roma tomatoes (optional)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Directions
Toss eggplant, pepper, onion, and tomatoes (if using) with half of olive oil, rubbing them with your hands to coat them evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap each vegetable individually in foil.
To Cook on Grill: Build a fire out of 1 chimney full of coals and let it die out until only smoldering coals remain (you can cook on it while it is still hot). When ready, place foil-wrapped vegetable directly on coals, piling some of the coals on top. Place lid on grill and let cook until vegetables are completely tender, about 2 hours and up to overnight. Remove from coals, unwrap vegetables, and discard eggplant, pepper, onion, and tomato skins. Discard pepper and eggplant seeds. Roughly chop flesh and combine with remaining olive oil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, drizzling with sherry vinegar.
To Cook in Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place foil packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until vegetables are completely tender, about 2 hours. Unwrap vegetables and discard eggplant, pepper, onion, and tomato skins. Discard pepper and eggplant seeds. Roughly chop flesh and combine with remaining olive oil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, drizzling with sherry vinegar.
Special Equipment
Charcoal grill (optional)
Read More
- How to Get Started Grilling
- Provençal Ratatouille
- Grilled Ratatouille
- For Better Grilled Vegetables, Use Your Chimney Starter
- Roasted Vegetables
- Eggplant
