Escalivada recipe: Catalonia's smoky roast vegetables
Aubergines, red peppers and onions go into the oven whole and come out black. What happens next, under a plate and between the fingers, decides whether the dish works.
This escalivada recipe comes from Catalonia, where aubergines, red peppers and onions are roasted whole until the skins blacken, then peeled and torn into strips by hand.
The name comes from the Catalan verb escalivar, to cook in the embers. The Institut Català de la Cuina lists the dish in its Corpus de la Cuina Catalana, the reference inventory of the region's cooking, and it appears on many of the menus behind our guide to what to eat in Barcelona.
Few households keep a wood fire, so this escalivada recipe uses a domestic oven at 220°C.
The juice left in the bowl is the dressing; rinsing the vegetables throws the dish away.
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines (about 600 g)
- 3 red peppers (about 600 g)
- 2 medium onions, unpeeled (about 300 g)
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for the tray
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar, optional
- Flaky sea salt
Method
- Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Prick each aubergine four or five times with a knife so steam can escape and the skin does not burst.
- Rub the vegetables with 1 tbsp oil and set them whole on a tray. The skins stay on because they char and protect the flesh, which cooks in its own steam.
- Roast the onions alone for 15 minutes, since they are the densest. Add the aubergines and peppers and roast for 45 minutes more, turning once, until the skins blister and the aubergines collapse when pressed.
- Tip everything into a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 20 minutes. The trapped steam loosens the skins and the vegetables release their juice.
- Peel with your fingers and discard stalks and seeds. Do not rinse under the tap: water washes the smoky flavour away.
- Tear the aubergines and peppers into strips by hand, along the fibres, and separate the onions into petals.
- Strain the juice from the bowl and the tray and whisk it with the 60 ml oil, the vinegar if using and a pinch of salt. Arrange the vegetables on a plate, pour the dressing over and rest for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
What to serve with escalivada
Anchovies in oil are the usual partner: lay two or three fillets over each plate and their salt does the seasoning. The same vegetables go on a coca de recapte, the Catalan flatbread, or beside grilled lamb with a spoonful of romesco.
The oil matters in an escalivada recipe because nothing hides it. Arbequina from Les Garrigues or Siurana is the local choice, and the Andalucía olive oil forecast points to a larger Spanish harvest this season. To drink, a white garnacha from Terra Alta or a dry cava.
Escalivada recipe: common questions
Can I make escalivada ahead? Yes. It keeps for three to four days in the fridge in a closed container, covered with its oil, and tastes better on the second day.
Can I make escalivada without an oven? Yes. Set the vegetables directly on barbecue coals or over the flame of a gas hob and turn them with tongs until black all over, 15 to 20 minutes for peppers and aubergines.
What is the difference between escalivada and ratatouille? Ratatouille is cut up and stewed in a pan with oil. Escalivada is roasted whole and dry, peeled afterwards and dressed cold, so each vegetable keeps its own taste.
