Recipe Escalivada with Anchovies and Scented Onion Petals

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
Staff member
Joined
19 Apr 2015
Local time
12:00 AM
Messages
46,855
Location
Maidstone, Kent, UK
I came across Escalivada, which is a Spanish dish whilst searching for recipes which use peppers. In the original versions of this dish, the peppers would not normally be marinated but simply roasted (or grilled). I've also added scented onion petals as it is an idea I've been developing and I think they compliment the sweet and savoury flavours of the peppers and aubergine. I was in two minds about whether to add the cheese - so I photographed it with and without! Serve as a starter with crusty bread.

20170914_142259.jpg


Ingredients (serves 3 to 4)
1 large aubergine
3 or 4 strips of Marinated Roasted Sweet Peppers per person
1 onion
Kewra water (or substitute rosewater)
2 spring onions per person
A few Manzanilla olives (sliced into discs)
3 or 4 anchovies per person
3 cubes of Manchego cheese per person (or substitute feta)
Olive oil

Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the whole onion into quarters (leave the skin on), place on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and bake in the oven until it is completely tender and beginning to char at the edges. This will take about 45 mins.
  2. Meanwhile, slice the aubergine lengthways into thin slices. Lay out on a non-stick tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes or until they become cooked through and 'floppy'.
  3. Place the aubergine slices in a freezer bag and allow to cool. When cooled, tear into strips.
  4. Allow the cooked onion to cool and separate it into petals, discarding the tougher outer skin and petals.
  5. Place the onion petals in a container and cover with kewra water or rose water. Leave to marinate for a few hours.
  6. Peel the tougher outer skin from the spring onions and trim. Place the spring onions on a hot griddle pan, cooking and turning them until they are charred on both sides.
  7. Drain and pat dry the slices of marinated peppers. Assemble all the ingredients as shown in the photograph, a few pink peppercorns from the pepper marinade.
  8. Drizzle with olive oil and serve at room temperature.
Without the Manchego cheese:
20170914_141732.jpg


With the cheese:
20170914_142319.jpg
 
Last edited:
@morning glory

Escalivada in Catalan, signifies " to toast over flames " .. It is an ancient salad of toasted vegetables ..

Your take on it is interesting and coupled by wonderful photography, however, the classic ingredients are: aubergine, red bells, Catalan Extra virgin olive oil, salt, 2 cloves minced garlic, and no fish and no Rose wáter.

Sometimes Calçots and tomato are added ( Calçot is an indigenious spring onion with dangling spherical shaped onions and they are available only in the spring, fresh and it is a local harvest feast day here in Barcelona and in Cataluna ) ..

Have a nice day ..
 
@morning glory

I had stated the classic recipe does not contain fish or meat ..

I know The Adria Bothers, and they are not classic in any sense of the word when it comes to the culinary arts .. Joselito, is a large Iberian Ham Producer and Exporter.

Wonderful photographs and quite a nice idea ..
 
Well - who is to say what the classic recipe is? Its rather like Boeuf Bourguignon. There is no Bible of classic food we can refer to - just traditions really. Folk here will argue about what constitutes a classic Cornish Pasty. There is no definitive answer. :happy:
 
@morning glory

The Greeks ruled Gerona and Barcelona before the Romans occupied these territories and the dish is Greek !

So it is a classic or traditional ancient dish that has renovated or modernised over the years ..

Have a nice weekend. Off to have a light bite .. 21.30 ..
 
Back
Top Bottom