Romanian Eggplant Dip Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pierce the eggplant skins in several places with a fork. Set the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast until soft and the skin is charred, 30 to 45 minutes, turning a few times for even roasting.
• When done, cut off the stems and peel the eggplants. Cut a slit along the side of each eggplant and transfer the eggplants to a strainer for a couple of minutes to allow the juices to drain.
• Finely chop the eggplants with a knife until they form a smooth puree. Add the eggplant puree to a bowl and stir in the olive oil and lemon juice until well-blended; taste and add more olive oil and lemon juice if desired. Add the onion and mix in the mayonnaise, adding more if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill and refrigerate for at least one hour to chill.

Steps:

• Broil eggplant on all sides until well cooked -- turning frequently as it cooks.
• Scrape the purple skin off, and discard skin.
• Mash eggplant well with a wooden spoon,.
• Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Mix grated onions with one tsp of mazola oil.
• Add to mashed eggplant.
• Add remaining 1/4 cup of oil to eggplant slowly, stirring constantly.
• Add lemon juice.
• Mix well, and serve as an appetizer on crackers or other bread rounds.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Poke eggplant with a fork and place on a baking sheet.
• Roast in the preheated oven until skin is charred and eggplant is soft, about 45 minutes. Cool until easily handled, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Peel eggplant and drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Chop eggplant very finely.
• Place eggplant in a bowl and blend using an electric mixer. Gradually add oil and keep mixing until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add yogurt and salt; mix well. Stir in chopped onion.

Steps:

• Peel eggplants in such a way that 3 strips of skin remain on each eggplant. Cut peeled eggplant into 1/2-inch slices. The strips of skin will prevent the eggplant slices from falling apart while cooking.
• Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot and cook eggplant slices in batches for 1 minute. Pour into a sieve and drain well.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread out eggplant slices on the bottom of the baking dish.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook bell peppers, onions, and garlic until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and layer over eggplant. Add tomato slices; season with salt and pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Over an open flame (gas stove or grill) completely blacken the skins of the eggplants and peppers.
• Peel skins off immediately. Easiest way to get the last bits off is to do it under a slow running faucet.
• Puree each of the three vegetables separately in a food processor. And place each in a separate bowl when you are finished.
• Place oil and onion in a large pot.
• Saute onions for about 4 minutes over medium-low heat.
• Add eggplant, onion, salt and pepper.
• Cook until a thin layer of oil remains on top and when a spoonful of zacusca is removed, only the oil should run off the spoon, not the zacusca.
• Taste and adjust salt and pepper to meet your tastes.
• Spoon mixture into sterilized jars of your choosing. It is easiest if they are all the same size.
• Wipe rims clean and place clean lids and rings on jars.
• Place into a single layer in large pot (water bath canner if you have one).
• Fill pot with water up to the necks of the jars. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool in water bath.
• When cool remove from water and you are ready to go. If oil separates just mix it back in when ready to serve.
• NOTE: My original Romanian recipe calls for a full Liter of oil but results in a much heavier and oilier zacusca. I cut mine back substantially from the original.

Steps:

• Roast the eggplants on the top of a gas stove directly on the flames. Keep the fire on high so the flames surround the eggplant. Roast each eggplant until the shin starts to burn (when you can see white gray color and the inside is soft at touch), then turn on the other side and cook until the skin starts to burn on that side. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and peel a part of the top burned shin with the back of a spoon. Let cool while the other eggplant is roasting. Scoop the inside of the eggplant into a bowl using a spoon. Repeat this procedure for the second eggplant. While the eggplant is cooling chop the onion very small (or crush the garlic). Once cooled, transfer the eggplant to a cutting board and crop it until is similar to a coarse paste. Mix the eggplant with the onion (or garlic), the salt and add the oil in batches. Add more onion (garlic) and salt to taste. Refrigerate for an hour or serve immediately. Optional serving with tomatoes: Cut the top of the tomatoes and scoop the inside with a teaspoon. Fill them with the dip and top with parsley.