Catalan Escalivada
MEAL PREP
Naturally Whole30 / Traditional Catalan. You drop a whole eggplant and red peppers onto a foil-lined half-sheet pan, shove them into a 450°F oven, and walk out of the kitchen. You are in the thick of Day 12, your palate is bored of steamed broccoli, and your energy to cook after a long Tuesday is zero. Enter Escalivada. This smoky pepper and eggplant salad proves that intense heat is all you need. We are trading the traditional wood fire for a sheet pan and a screaming hot oven, but the magic remains exactly the same. The eggplant skin blisters and collapses. The oven dehydrates, chars, and collapses them, concentrating their natural sugars until they are meltingly tender. A quick steam in a covered bowl makes the skins slip right off. Peel the charred skins, tear the soft flesh into strips, and let olive oil do the rest. Keep a batch in the fridge—it gets better the next day—and throw it over compliant sausage, pack it with salad, or eat it straight out of the container standing in the kitchen light.
Ingredients
- globe eggplants2 med
- red bell peppers2 large
- yellow onions2 med
- extra-virgin olive oil1/3 cup
- Sherry vinegar1 tbsp
- garlic1 large clove
- coarse kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Roast the whole vegetables.
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil. Take a knife and stab the eggplants a few times all over (if you skip this, they will literally explode in your oven from trapped steam). Rub the whole eggplants, bell peppers, and unpeeled onions with a light coating of olive oil and place them on the sheet pan.
- 02
Let the oven work.
Roast for 45 to 50 minutes. You want the skins of the peppers and eggplants to look blistered, charred, and slightly collapsed. The onions should feel soft when squeezed with a pair of tongs.
- 03
Trap the steam.
Transfer the hot peppers and eggplants to a large bowl and immediately cover it tightly with a plate or aluminum foil. Let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes. This traps the residual steam, naturally separating the charred skins from the sweet flesh. Set the onions aside on a cutting board to cool slightly.
- 04
Peel and tear.
Once cool enough to handle, use your fingers to slip the skins off the peppers and eggplants. Pull out the stems and scrape away the seeds. Instead of chopping with a knife, use your hands to tear the soft flesh into long, rustic strips to help them hold onto the dressing better. Peel the papery outer layers off the roasted onions and slice them into thick strips, then arrange all the vegetables on a serving platter.
- 05
Dress and serve.
In a small bowl, aggressively whisk together the 1/3 cup of olive oil, Sherry vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Pour the dressing generously over the vegetables, top with fresh parsley if using, and serve at room temperature.
Notes
The Power of Quality Fat.
Escalivada is defined by its simplicity, which means there is nowhere to hide. Do not skimp on the olive oil. The oil mixes with the natural juices of the roasted vegetables to create a rich, silky sauce. This is exactly the kind of healthy fat your brain needs on a Whole30 reset to keep you satisfied.
Patience pays off.
If you are meal-prepping this on a Sunday, don't even eat it yet. Let it sit in the fridge overnight. The garlic, vinegar, and smoke flavors will meld and intensify by Monday lunch.
From Whole30 10 Minute Meals.