Bosnian Grilled Pepper and Eggplant Ajvar with Warm Somun Flatbread

Heat a grill to high, or set your oven broiler to its top setting with a rack six inches below the element. Char the whole peppers and whole eggplants, turning every few minutes, until the skins are blackened and blistered all over and the flesh has collapsed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Serves 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

• 4 lb (1.8 kg) red bell peppers or Hungarian roasting peppers
• 1 1/2 lb (700 g) eggplant, about 2 medium
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp cayenne or 1 small hot red pepper, minced
• 8 pieces somun or thick pita flatbread
• 2 tbsp good olive oil, for finishing
• Flaky salt and chopped parsley, to garnish

Instructions

1. Heat a grill to high, or set your oven broiler to its top setting with a rack six inches below the element. Char the whole peppers and whole eggplants, turning every few minutes, until the skins are blackened and blistered all over and the flesh has collapsed, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Pile the hot peppers into a bowl and cover tightly with a plate or plastic wrap. Let them steam for 20 minutes, which loosens the skins and makes peeling almost effortless. Rest the eggplants alongside until cool enough to handle.
3. Peel and seed the peppers, working over a bowl to catch juices but discarding the watery liquid, and split the eggplants to scoop out the soft flesh. Discard all the skins.
4. Pulse the pepper and eggplant flesh in a food processor to a coarse, slightly chunky texture, or chop by hand for the traditional finish. Do not puree it smooth.
5. Heat the sunflower oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat and add the garlic, stirring for 30 seconds just until fragrant but not colored. Add the pepper and eggplant mixture, the vinegar, salt, black pepper, sugar and cayenne.
6. Cook uncovered at a lazy bubble for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring every five minutes and scraping the bottom, until the ajvar has darkened to a deep brick red, thickened enough to mound on a spoon, and the oil glistens at the edges of the pot.
7. Taste and adjust the vinegar and salt while it is still warm, then let it cool to room temperature. It thickens further as it cools and tastes better after a night in the fridge.
8. Warm the somun on the grill for a minute per side until puffed and lightly charred. Spread the ajvar in a shallow bowl, swirl over the olive oil, and finish with flaky salt and parsley. Serve with the torn warm bread.
9. Ajvar is made in enormous batches across Bosnia every late summer, when the roasting peppers come in cheap by the crate and whole families gather in courtyards to char, peel and stir. The unhurried simmer is the entire technique. It drives off water, concentrates the sugars in the peppers, and turns something bright and vegetal into a jammy, smoke-tinged spread that gets eaten all winter.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 310 kcal
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 17g
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 10g
• Sodium: 690mg