Escalivada (Catalan Roasted Vegetables)

Vegetables on every menu in Barcelona

After living in Spain for many years, I learned one thing: Catalans live to cook and eat, and they measure the time when vegetables reach their peak, from white asparagus in the spring to wild mushrooms in the fall. Small talk revolves around both the weather and the products that have recently been spotted at the market.

Escalivada is a testament to the importance of vegetables in local cuisine. In Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia, you’d be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that doesn’t have a plate of smoky roasted red peppers, eggplant and onions on the menu. It’s a staple at tapas bars or as a side to large plates at restaurants, and it’s sold ready-made in the produce section of every grocery store.

The name comes from escalivar, which means “to cook in ashes”. Escalivado was historically cooked over wood coals, although today most people roast the vegetable in the oven to make it tender and fragrant. It’s easy to make at home and is a great way to use the best vegetables of the season.

How to cook escalivada

Although there’s nothing difficult about making escalivada at home, you should allow some time between baking and cooling. I like to make escalivada on the weekend and enjoy it all week. Here’s how to do it:

• Get ready. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Pierce 2 medium eggplants on all sides with the tip of a knife or fork.
• Fry vegetables. Arrange the eggplant, 2 whole red bell peppers, and 2 whole medium onions, still in their paper skins, on a lined baking sheet. Fry vegetables. After 25 minutes, turn the red bell pepper over. After 30 minutes, turn the eggplant over. After 45 minutes, remove the peppers (leaving the eggplant and onion in the oven) and place them in a bowl. Cover with a plate until the peppers are cool enough to handle. Steaming in a bowl makes it easier to clean the skin later. Leave the eggplant and onions in the oven to roast for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with a knife, blistered, and quite soft, 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes total. Remove the pan from the oven and let the vegetables rest until cool.
• Peel and cut the vegetables. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, use your fingers to remove the skin, seeds and stems from the peppers and discard. Remove the stalks and skin from the eggplant, and peel the papery skin from the onion. Cut the vegetables into strips about 1/2 inch wide.
• File or store. To serve immediately, arrange the sliced ​​vegetables on a serving plate. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serve at room temperature or cold. Alternatively, store the vegetables in an airtight container overnight to allow the flavors to infuse before serving.

Escalivada Variations

Depending on the region and the cook, escalivada may include more vegetables. Here are a few of my favorite variations:

• Add tomato: In the neighboring region of Aragon, they make firigola, which is essentially an escalivade with the addition of roasted tomatoes. Add 4 medium tomatoes along with the other vegetables, remove from the oven when they are soft and starting to caramelize, 20-25 minutes. When cool enough, peel it and cut it into pieces.
• Add the garlic: In the south of Spain, they make an ensalada asada, similar to escalivada, but with roasted tomatoes and garlic. Add as much unpeeled garlic as you like, a few cloves or even a whole head along with other vegetables. Peel the garlic when it is cool enough to handle.
• Add herbs: I always like a little sprinkling of fresh parsley, but other herbs also add a fragrant freshness to the escalivada. Try oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram or tarragon.

Advice and recommendations

• The total baking time will depend on the size of the vegetables. In my experience, bell peppers take less time than eggplant and onions.
• I prefer to remove the vegetables when they are soft, avoiding peppers that are too soft. I have included a schedule for flipping and removing the vegetables individually.
• Some cooks prefer the ease of roasting everything for the same amount of time, so if that’s your preference too, feel free to roast all the vegetables for 1 hour or until the skins are blistered and the vegetables are tender.
• Escalivada is already fragrant on the day of its preparation, but if left overnight, the flavor deepens. I like to make the escalivada on a Sunday, refrigerate it overnight, and then use it during the week.

How to serve Escalivada

• Prepare tapas. Escalivada is usually served with other tapas. When I eat it as a tapas, I like to serve it in a pan or with a Spanish tortilla. I often eat this combo for lunch or a light dinner during the week.
• Serve it as a side dish for roasted or grilled meats such as roast chicken, grilled steak or leg of lamb.
• Turn the escalivada into a salad. For something simple and traditional, I’ll add olives, anchovies, or both, and maybe drizzle a little sherry or wine vinegar on top. But it’s also good garnished with a handful of peppery arugula and some tangy goat cheese.
• Add it to another recipe. I even use escalivada in this chicken pasta salad. I replace the tomatoes and roasted red peppers in the recipe with 1-2 cups of roughly chopped escalivada. I also like to replace the red wine vinegar with sherry vinegar.