(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...A beloved summer staple from Catalonia, escalivada turns fire-kissed eggplant, peppers, onions, and tomatoes into a silky, smoky vegetable platter draped with briny salted anchovies. Fruity olive oil and a splash of sherry vinegar tie everything together. Serve with crusty bread for a memorable tapa or light lunch.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time65 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings as a main tapa
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 285 kcalCalories
- 18 gFat
- 3 gSaturated Fat
- 22 gCarbs
- 8 gFiber
- 14 gSugar
- 9 gProtein
- 720 mgSodium
- 880 mgPotassium
- 85 mgCalcium
- 2.5 mgIron
- 112 mgVitamin C
- 185 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the charred vegetables
- 2 medium Italian eggplants (about 1 lb / 450 g)
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 2 ripe plum tomatoes
- 1 large red onion, unpeeled
- 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
For the dressing and topping
- 16 to 20 high-quality salted anchovy fillets (anxovies), drained
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón)
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Prick the eggplants all over with a fork and place them on a large rimmed baking sheet alongside the bell peppers, tomatoes, unpeeled onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves.
- Roast 40 to 50 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, until the skins are blackened and blistered and the flesh feels very soft when pressed. The peppers and tomatoes will be ready first; remove them as they collapse.
- Transfer everything to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam for 15 minutes. This loosens the skins so they peel away easily.
- When cool enough to handle, peel and seed the peppers, then tear them into wide strips. Peel and slice the tomatoes. Scoop the eggplant flesh away from the skin in thick slices. Peel the onion and cut into thick rings. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its papery skins and smash to a paste.
- Arrange the vegetables attractively on a wide platter, alternating colors and overlapping in bands. Season lightly with flaky sea salt.
- Drape the salted anchovy fillets over the vegetables in long, decorative strips.
- Whisk the olive oil with the sherry vinegar and smoked paprika until slightly emulsified, then drizzle generously over the entire platter. Sprinkle with parsley and an extra pinch of flaky salt.
- Serve at room temperature with toasted rustic bread, allowing the juices to pool in the center for dipping.
Cook’s Notes
- For deeper smoke, char the peppers and eggplant directly over a gas flame or on a hot grill before finishing them in the oven.
- Salted Spanish anxovies cured in olive oil give the cleanest, least fishy flavor; rinse them briefly under cool water if they taste overly briny.
- Escalivada tastes even better after resting overnight in the fridge — the anchovies melt into the vegetables and the garlic softens.
- For a more substantial tapa, serve alongside toasted bread rubbed with tomato and garlic in the Catalan pa amb tomàquet style.
- Add a final squeeze of lemon just before serving to lift the smoky sweetness of the roasted vegetables.
