Step 1

Wrap your oven racks or trays with aluminium foil. Preheat the oven to 450F / 220C. Poke a few holes in the eggplants and peppers. Basically this will allow the steam to escape, during roasting. Place the peppers and the eggplants on top of the aluminium foil and roast them in the centre of the oven. Set the timer for 20 minutes. One side of the pepper should be quite blackened. Turn the peppers around and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Take the peppers out of the oven and set aside on a plate. Now turn the eggplants over and roast them for another 25-30 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven and set aside to cool.

Step 2

When all roasted vegetables are room temperature and you can handle them with your bare hands, it's time to "cut" them. First, decore the peppers and discard the seeds. Place the flesh on a wooden chopping board and using a flat wooden spoon "chop" the peppers until you get a rough paste. This is a traditional Romanian method of "chopping". Of course, you can use a food processor if you prefer. I like to do it the traditional way as this is how zacusca was done back in the days. In Romania, we use a special kitchen device called "eggplant wooden chopper" for this. Imagine a sort of small wooden axe, or like a wooden chef's knife used to hit the flesh repeatedly until you get the desired level of vegetable paste.

Step 3

Carefully slice the eggplant in half. Using a wooden spoon, scoop out the eggplant flesh and discard the skins. Engaging in the same methodology as before, using a wooden spoon, chop the eggplant flesh until you get a rough paste. The smoother, the better. Again, this is a traditional Romanian way of making zacusca. If you prefer, you can use your food processor to create a smooth paste.

Step 4

Heat up a drizzle of oil in a large and deep frying pan. Add the chopped onion and fry for about 3-5 minutes until translucent and soft. Add the chopped eggplant and peppers, the tomato sauce, the vegetable oil, salt, pepper, bay leaf and sugar. Mix well until everything is fully combined. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 90 minutes stirring occasionally. Check on the zacusca on a regular basis to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan. I simmer it uncovered so my zacusca reduces and becomes a delicious paste. If at any point during the cooking process you feel that your zacusca is drying out too much, simply add a few tablespoons of water to it and continue to simmer.

Step 5

When the 90 minutes are almost up, remove the bay leaves and taste the zacusca. Adjust the seasoning if needed and let it simmer for another 5 - 10 minutes. To store zacusca you can use an air-tight container and refrigerate. If you want to store zacusca de traditional way, you must sterilise empty jars and store your zacusca in them. Traditionally zacusca is then sealed in the jars and stored in a cold room for up to one year. We usually buy local eggplants to make zacusca and we make it in September.