Escalivada
Charred eggplant, pepper and onion, peeled and oiled — Catalan fire vegetables, not a ratatouille.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Escalivada is vegetables cooked in the embers or a hot oven until the skins blacken, then peeled and dressed with oil and salt. Eggplant, red pepper, onion. It should taste of smoke, not of a stew. Serve at room temperature with bread, or on toast, or next to grilled fish.
What you'll need
7 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Bell pepper, red2
- Olive oil59 ml
- Garlic (optional)1 clove
- Salt4.9 ml
- Vinegar (optional)4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Roast eggplant, peppers and onion at 220°C until collapsed and blackened, 40–50 minutes. Cover in a bowl so they steam.
50 min
Step 2
Peel. Tear into strips. Dress with oil, salt, optional garlic and vinegar. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 187 kcal
- Protein
- 2.8 g
- Carbs
- 18.2 g
- Fat
- 12.6 g
- Saturated fat
- 1.8 g
- Fibre
- 6.4 g
- Sugar
- 10.2 g
- Sodium
- 493 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Red pepper → Any sweet pepper
Green is grassier.
Tips
- A gas hob or barbecue skins the peppers faster.
- Anchovy on top is a Catalan extra, not required.
History & culture
Catalonia and Valencia. A salad in the Spanish sense: cooked, oiled, a start or a side.
Ember cooking is older than the name. The plate is the Catalan one people photograph.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Escalivada take?
1 hr 5 min all in — 15 min prep, 50 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Vegan.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What equipment do I need?
Oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
How much vinegar?
1 tsp (optional) of Vinegar.
What can I use instead?
Red pepper → Any sweet pepper. Green is grassier.
Any tips from this recipe?
A gas hob or barbecue skins the peppers faster. Anchovy on top is a Catalan extra, not required.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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