A childhood memory: When I was about 6 years old, I found three plump carp swimming in the bathtub of my grandparents’ apartment in Riga. I fed them breadcrumbs and tried to convince my grandparents to let me get into the tub with the fish. But the next morning, when I went to visit my new friends, they weren’t there. Somehow I knew better than to inquire about their fate. I knew it had something to do with my babushka Rosa’s famous gefilte fish.
Sinenkiye Skrasnenkimi – Rosa’s Eggplant and Tomato Salsa
March 21, 2021
Ingredients
- 3medium globe eggplants
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2large, ripe tomatoes
- 2medium white or yellow onions
- 2garlic cloves, crushed
- ½cup unrefined sunflower oil or aromatic extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- sliced tomatoes for garnish
Yield: Serves 6-8
Preparation
- Step 1
Place the eggplants on a rack over the open flame. (I advise lining the stovetop with foil—it will save a lot of cleaning up later.) Char the eggplants over the flame, turning them as needed until the skin is black and blistered on all sides and the flesh is completely soft. This usually takes about 20 minutes. If there are any tougher spots left, position the eggplants so they get direct heat and char for a few more minutes. If you are using a broiler, turn it on to maximum, arrange the eggplants on a foil-lined baking sheet, and place it under the broiler as close as you can without touching the element to the eggplant. Turn over as needed so all sides char evenly.
- Step 2
Transfer the charred eggplants to a colander to cool and drain some moisture. When cool enough to handle, slit them open and scoop out the flesh. Squeeze some lemon juice and transfer again to the colander to drain some more moisture.
- Step 3
Chop the eggplant flesh coarsely and transfer to a bowl. Coarsely grate one tomato, dice the other one, and add to the bowl. Coarsely grate one onion, coarsely chop the other one, and add both to the bowl. Pour in the oil, add garlic and season with a teaspoon of salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasoning.
- Step 4
Serve warm or at room temperature. The salad will keep refrigerated for 2-3 days, but I advise to take it out of the fridge about half an hour before serving and refresh it with a nice glug of aromatic oil.
NOTE:This is my adaption of Rosa’s famous eggplant dish. For best results look for eggplants that are relatively light for their size and have taut and unblemished skins. If possible, char them on open fire or on a charcoal grill. You can also use a broiler, but the taste will be much less smoky. Unrefined sunflower oil will lend a lovely nutty note (I buy mine in Russian delis). If you can’t find it—go for aromatic olive oil.