Zacuscă

Steps

1. 1
   Roast the aubergines and peppers whole over a grill or gas flame, or under the oven grill at 250°C, turning, until the skins are black all over and the flesh collapses — 25–35 minutes.
2. 2
   Shut the peppers in a covered pot for 15 minutes, then peel and seed them. Peel the aubergines and leave the flesh in a colander for 30 minutes to drain off its bitter juice.
3. 3
   Chop the peppers and aubergines finely by hand, or pulse them briefly in a food processor: zacuscă should keep some texture, not turn into a purée.
4. 4
   Dice the onions finely and cook them in the oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until soft and golden but not browned.
5. 5
   Add the peppers and cook for 20 minutes, stirring, then add the aubergines, passata, bay leaves, sugar, salt and black pepper.
6. 6
   Simmer uncovered over low heat for 90–120 minutes, stirring often and scraping the base with a wooden spoon, until the oil rises to the top and the mixture is thick and glossy.
7. 7
   Remove the bay leaves and fill hot sterilised jars to 1 cm below the rim. Seal and boil the jars in a water bath for 30 minutes; kept cool and dark, they last until spring.