A morning of museum hopping left us hungry on the streets of Madrid. We popped into a sidewalk cafe for a bit of nourishment. We started with skewers of olives and anchovies and small croquettes filled with jamón serrano. So delicious.
The next dish wowed us completely. In fact, two bites into a plate of escalivada salad over fried potatoes, then topped with a fried egg, had us declaring this our next holiday breakfast at home.
Not your typical Easter brunch recipe, for sure, the tangy eggplant salad will take you by surprise and keep you coming back for more. Escalivada is a traditional Catalan dish made from ember-roasted vegetables (the Catalan word escalivar means to roast over embers or ashes). At home, a hot oven does the work nicely. In season, we will definitely grill slices of eggplant, zucchini, and onion directly over the embers before dicing the vegetables into small bits.
Either way, it takes a bit of time to cut vegetables into 1/2-inch dice, but the results are worth the effort for texture in the finished dish. Our Madrid version did not include zucchini, but I added it for the lovely green color and slightly sweet flavor. I prefer to roast the eggplant and zucchini separately, adding onion and Spanish olive oil to each baking sheet. When all are golden and tender, mix together with fresh garlic, tomato paste, and sherry wine vinegar. In season, the dish welcomes a finely diced ripe tomato or two.
This eggplant salad tastes great warm and piled on a slice of toasted baguette. Or, scrambled a few spoonfuls into eggs. Grilled chicken breast welcomes the tangy vegetables, as does a fish fillet. Or, spread it as a layer on a steak sandwich.
For a decadent brunch dish, pile it over hand-cut fried potatoes (we use frozen fries to save time) and then top everything with a gently fried egg or two. Serve with a green lettuce salad and some sliced melon.
Roasted Eggplant Salad With Peppers and Sherry Vinegar
Makes about 6 cups- 1 large (1 1/2 pounds) eggplant, ends trimmed
- 2 large zucchini, total 1 pound, ends trimmed
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- 2 roasted red bell peppers (from a jar), rinsed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 1 cup
Cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut the slices into 1/2-inch-thick sticks, then cut the sticks into 1/2-inch pieces. Put onto another large baking sheet.
Scatter half of the onion piece over each baking sheet. Drizzle the eggplant with 4 tablespoons of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Stir well. Drizzle zucchini with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir well.
Roast the vegetables, stirring every 10 minutes and rotating the pans occasionally, until vegetables are tender and nicely golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
Eggs and Potatoes With Roasted Eggplant Salad
Note: Serve 1 or 2 eggs per person, depending on appetites and other dishes on the menu.- 1 recipe Roasted Eggplant Salad, see recipe
- 1 bag (24 ounces) frozen hand-cut style potato fries
- Vegetable oil for high-heat cooking
- 4 to 12 large eggs
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Hot red pepper sauce, to taste
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Put potatoes onto 1 large or 2 medium-size oiled baking sheet(s). Bake, stirring often, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes, depending on brand. (Alternatively, cook potatoes in air-fryer according to manufacturer’s directions.) When cooked, turn off oven and open door slightly so potatoes stay warm while you cook the eggs.
Meanwhile, reheat eggplant salad if necessary in the microwave oven on high (100 percent power) until warm, about 2 minutes.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium until hot, then film with oil. Gently crack eggs into hot skillet in a single, uncrowded layer (you may need to work in batches). Cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until yolks are as done as you like them, 2 to 3 minutes for slightly runny.
While eggs cook, arrange 1/4 of the potatoes on a dinner plate and top with a generous portion of the warm eggplant salad. Transfer 1 or 2 cooked eggs to each a plate. Sprinkle with parsley and hot pepper sauce. Serve hot.
