Ajvar, Serbian Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Ajvar is the red pepper relish that Serbian, Macedonian, and Croatian households cook by the potful every autumn when peppers are cheapest, jarring it to spread on bread all winter. Roasted red peppers are the whole point, with a little roasted eggplant folded in for the smooth, mild style, all charred until the skins blister so they peel away and leave sweet, smoky flesh behind. The classic version is enriched and preserved with a great deal of oil, stirred in as the paste cooks down; here the relish is simply reduced dry in the pan, which concentrates the peppers and thickens it just as well. Garlic, red wine vinegar, and an optional pinch of cayenne sharpen it at the end in place of salt. Spread it thick, or spoon it alongside grains and beans.
Ingredients
- 6 wholes Bell peppers, red
- 1 whole Eggplant, small
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 1 pinch Cayenne
Method
- Roast the whole red peppers and the eggplant under a hot broiler or over a flame, turning, until the skins are blackened and blistered all over, about 15 minutes. Set the peppers in a covered bowl to steam for 10 minutes. Charring is the whole flavor of ajvar; the blackened skin steams loose and slips off, taking the bitterness with it and leaving smoky, sweet flesh.
- Peel and seed the peppers and scoop the soft flesh from the eggplant, discarding all the skins. Do not rinse the peppers under the tap, however tempting, since the water carries off the roasted flavor you just built. A few flecks of char left behind are a good thing.
- Chop the flesh finely by hand or pulse it in a food processor to a coarse, spoonable texture, not a smooth puree. Traditional ajvar is worked to a rough paste, and keeping a little texture is what separates it from a sauce.
- Scrape the mixture into a wide dry pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it thickens, darkens, and turns glossy, about 20 minutes. Ordinarily this is where cup after cup of oil goes in; cooking it dry instead drives off the water and concentrates the peppers, so the relish sets thick on its own. Stir in the garlic, vinegar, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne in the last 2 minutes, then cool. It keeps well over a week in the fridge.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 45 calories, 1 g protein, 2 g fiber, 10 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
