Ajvar is a traditional Serbian recipe made up of a base of roasted capsicums and eggplants. It is incredibly vibrant, slightly tangy and slightly sweet. Here, Karrin has paired it with some lightly cured sardines, but she also recommends pairing it with barbecued lamb, chevapi or simply with some crusty bread or in a sandwich. This recipe makes a bit over 1 litre but keeps in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. 

 

You'll Need:

4 red capsicums

2 eggplant

6 cloves garlic

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:

⁃ To start, prick the eggplants with a toothpick all over.

⁃ Char the capsicums and eggplant directly over the flame, rotating frequently until completely blackened on all sides. The eggplant should be completely soft to touch, if it still feels a little hard on the inside you can put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes to cook through the rest of the way. 

⁃ While the eggplant and capsicum are still hot, place both them in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. This allows the vegetables to steam and will make it much easier to peel. 

⁃ After 5-10 minutes, remove them from the bowl. Remove the stalks, peel off all the charred skin and remove the seeds from the capsicum. If the skin and seeds stick to the flesh, you can lightly rinse them off in some water.

⁃ Place in a food processor and blend until relatively smooth but still with a little texture.

⁃ Heat a pot on medium heat and drizzle in a few tablespoons of olive oil, add the sliced garlic and fry off until it is only beginning to caramelise, smelling fragrant and sweet, ensuring it doesn't burn.

⁃ Now add the capsicum and eggplant mix, the rest of the olive oil and the red wine vinegar.

⁃ Keeping it on the lowest heat possible, cook the ajvar for 2-3hours until the colour becomes a rich red and the vinegar has mellowed. Stir constantly to avoid catching on the bottom of the pan.

⁃ Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool and enjoy, if you can wait, I think it tends to taste better the next day.