Roasted peppers and aubergines

Roasted peppers and aubergines is a colourful dish that taste of the sun and Mediterranean – it comes from Catalonia in Spain. It can be served hot or warm as a vegetable to accompany meat or fish or it can be served warm or cold as a tapas dish.

Preparation Time             10  Mins

Cooking Time               1.25  Hrs

Elapsed Time                 1.5  Hrs

Ingredients

For     6  portions

2                    Aubergines

3 tbs               Olive oil

2                    Peppers  - red

                      Salt

Method

Put the aubergines and peppers on a baking tray.  Prick the aubergines in a few places with a pointed knife to prevent them from bursting and put the tray in an oven preheated to 180°C.  Turn the vegetables over once during the cooking.

Take the peppers out at the end of 45 minutes - they should be soft and their skin blistered.  Put them in a sealed plastic bag.  Leave them to steam in the bag for about 15 minutes.  When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them, remove the stems and seeds and cut them into strips (about 8 per pepper). 

After a further 15 minutes cooking (about 1 hour total cooking time), when the aubergines feel soft when you press them, take them out of the oven.  Once they are cool enough to handle, peel and cut them into long, strips of similar-size to the peppers.

Arrange the vegetables in one layer on a serving plate, alternating peppers and aubergines, and sprinkle with the olive oil and a little salt.

The dish can be served then (warm) or reheated in the oven for 15 minutes.