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Poor Man Caviar
(Baklazhannaia Ikra)
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| What You Need: |
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1 large eggplant (about 2 pounds)
1 cup finely chopped onions
6 tablespoons olive oil
˝ cup finely chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
˝ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Dark rye or pumpernickel bread or sesame-seed crackers
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake the eggplant on a rack in the center of the oven for about an hour, turning it over once or twice until it is soft and its skin is charred and blistered.
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2. Meanwhile, cook the onions in 4 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat for 6 to 8 minutes until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the green pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer. With a rubber spatula scrape the contents of the skillet into a mixing bowl.
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3. Remove the skin from the baked eggplant with a small, sharp knife, then chop the eggplant pulp finely, almost to a puree. Add it to the mixing bowl and stir in the tomatoes, sugar, salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
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4. Mix together thoroughly. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over moderate heat and pour in the eggplant mixture. Bring to a boil, stir-ring constantly, then turn the heat to low, cover the skillet and simmer for an hour.
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5. Remove the cover and cook an additional half hour, stirring from time to time, until all the moisture in the pan has evaporated and the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon. Stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
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6. Transfer the "caviar" to a mixing bowl and chill, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to serve. Serve on squares of bread or on sesame-seed crackers.
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