Romanian Aubergine Salad
Local name : Salată de vinete
Flame-charred aubergines chopped by hand and beaten with oil into a smoky, creamy spread eaten cold on bread.
Photo : Sacha47 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Method
- Prick the aubergines in several places, then char them whole over a gas flame or under a hot grill for about 25 minutes, turning until the skins are black and the flesh has collapsed.
- While still warm, set them in a colander, split them lengthways and let them drain for at least 20 minutes so the bitter juices run off.
- Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving the burnt skin behind. Do not rinse it, or you will wash away the smoke.
- Chop the flesh on a board with a wooden knife or ceramic blade until it becomes a coarse, stringy purée. Steel blades turn it grey.
- Tip it into a bowl and beat in the oil in a thin stream with a wooden spoon, as though making mayonnaise, until the mixture pales and turns creamy.
- Stir in the onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper, taste, then chill for at least an hour and serve cold with parsley scattered over.
This is eaten cold on country bread, often with slices of tomato and raw onion alongside. The wooden knife is more than tradition: it keeps the flesh from oxidising and going grey.
