Equipment
- grill
- 1 large oven-safe pot
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 4 large eggplants
- 8 red bell peppers, ripe
- 2 large sweet onions
- 240 mL oil
- 170 grams tomato paste
- 425 grams tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic , or 3-4 cloves
- 1/2 Tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp vegeta
- 3 bay leaves
- 1,317 grams canned Great White Norther Beans
Method
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and wash all the produce.
- Grill the whole eggplants and red bell peppers, turning occasionally, until the skins are charred and the flesh is completely tender. Remove from the grill and allow to cool enough to handle.4 large eggplants, 8 red bell peppers ripe
- Peel the eggplants and peppers and discard the skins and stems. Remove the seeds from the bell peppers. The eggplant seeds are fine.
- Pulse the eggplant and peppers separately in a food processor until finely chopped, without puréeing it completely. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer; they can drain together.
- Peel and finely pulse the raw onions, then place in a separate fine-mesh strainer. Set the strainers over bowls, cover and drain for several hours or overnight (refrigerate if overnight).2 large sweet onions
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot over medium heat. I used a 5 qt dutch oven and that's the smallest I'd go cuz it'll fill up.240 mL oil
- Add the drained onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown.
- Stir in the drained eggplant and peppers. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, garlic, sweetener, Vegeta, salt, black pepper and bay leaves. Stir until evenly combined.170 grams tomato paste, 425 grams tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp minced garlic or 3-4 cloves, 1/2 Tbsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 Tbsp vegeta, 3 bay leaves
- Cook using either method:- Oven: Preheat the oven to **300°F (150°C)**. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook **uncovered for approximately 3 hours**, removing it to stir and scrape the bottom and sides about once every hour.- Stovetop: Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered for several hours, stirring regularly and scraping the bottom to prevent sticking. Reduce the heat further if it begins to scorch.
- During the final hour of cooking, drain the beans, and gently stir them into the mixture, keeping them whole.1,317 grams canned Great White Norther Beans
- Continue cooking until the zacuscă is thick and spreadable, holds its shape when scooped and has no watery liquid pooling around it. Extend the cooking time as needed to reach this consistency. You can leave it slightly more wet if you prefer it that way.
- Once it's done, mix the zacusca but if there is charring on the edge of the pot, leave it, don't scrape it and mix it in. While you're mixing it, remove the bay leaves.
- Taste and adjust the salt, pepper and sweetener as needed. Serve warm or chilled with bread or crackers.
- Divide into small, shallow containers and store in the refrigerator. Use within **3–4 days** or freeze in portions for longer storage.
Notes
Canning: Eggplants are not recommended for home canning and technically glass mason jars aren't recommended to be put in the oven but the traditional method for storing zacusca is to can it.
My mom has always done it this way - sterilize the cans either by boiling or heating in the oven. Fill the jars, leaving a half inch at the top free. Wipe the edges of the jars clean and tighten the lids. Return to the oven (turned off but still hot) and allow them to cool completely to room temperature in the oven with the door closed.
Nutrition
Calories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 12gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 729mgPotassium: 1337mgFiber: 13gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 2892IUVitamin C: 113mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 5mg