Smoky vegetables escalivada toast

The Story

One dish that I’ve always loved ordering and making since I’ve been living in Barcelona is Escalivada. Translated as “to roast in embers” this traditional Catalan dish has you take vegetables like eggplant, onion, and peppers and throw them on an open fire, blistering their skins until blackened. Once they are peeled and simply dressed in a splash of sherry vinegar, a drizzle of fruity Spanish olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper it is one of the most enjoyable ways to consume a vegetable. The smokiness from cooking them over the fire combined with the natural sweetness of the veg is a match made in heaven.

Those of us who can’t just whip up an open fire or light the grill, rely on high-temperature roasting in the oven, and even though it’s not exactly the same, the flavor is just as nice.

One of the most traditional ways of enjoying this dish is piled on top of a piece of toasted crusty bread finished with briny, salty anchovies. However, you can also see it alongside fish or meat as a side dish, or even scattered on a blate with pit-in black olives as an appetizer.

Drawing inspiration from the timeless tradition of Escalivada, I've crafted a delightful variation that marries the smoky flavors of roasted vegetables with the richness of olive mayo and the savory bite of tuna. These Escalivada toasts offer a contemporary twist on a beloved Catalan classic, making them perfect for a casual snack or an elegant hors d’oeuvre at your next gathering.

Difficulty: 1.5 on a scale of 1-5

Active time to prepare: 45 minutes

Total time to prepare: 1 hour 45 minutes (includes inactive oven and cooling time)

Serves: 5-6 (makes 10-12 toasts)

The Ingredients

For the fennel seed oil:

1/4 cup/53 g olive oil

1 tsp./5 g fennel seeds

For the relish:

2 cups/300 g heirloom cherry/grape tomatoes

2 red peppers

1 small onion

1 tsp./4.5 g olive oil

2 Tbsp./30 g sherry vinegar

1 tsp./7 g honey

2 handfuls roughly chopped parsley leaves

For the olive mayo:

1 cup/240 g mayonnaise (I like Kewpie or Hellman’s)

1/4 cup/40 g pitted black oil-cured olives

Juice from 1 lemon

2 tsp/15 g honey

Freshly cracked pepper to taste

For the assembly:

1/2 loaf of crusty bread

3 Tbsp./41 g olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic peeled

1 jar flaked tuna/bonito packed in olive oil

1 handful parsley leaves

The Recipe

Fennel seed oil:

1. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat.

2. Add the fennel seeds, and immediately start swirling the pan. Cook until fragrant (1 minute approx.).

3. Immediately remove the oil with the fennel seeds, placing the mixture in a small bowl. Cool.

Relish:

1. Preheat your oven to the highest broiler setting and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Cut the top end off the onion, and place it on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzling with 1 tsp olive oil and seasoning with salt. Wrap to form 1 individual parcel.

3. Put the onion parcel on the baking sheet along with the red peppers. Place in the oven.

4. Check on the peppers every 7-8 minutes, turning them when the skin is completely blackened. When all of the skin is black (25 minutes approx.) remove them and place them in a bowl, covering it with plastic wrap.

5. Steam the peppers in the bowl for 10 minutes. Cool until you can comfortably handle them.

6. At the 30-minute mark, open the foil parcel with the onion, leaving the surface exposed to the heat of the broiler. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool until you can comfortably handle the onion.

7. Remove the skin and seeds from the peppers. Cut them julienne in strips, and then cut across (to make shorter strips). Place in a bowl.

8. Remove the skin and the root end from the onion. Cut in julienne and add to the peppers.

9. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and add to the bowl with the onion and peppers.

10. Add the cooled fennel seed oil, honey, sherry vinegar, coarsely chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

Olive mayo:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth.

2. Chill until you are ready to assemble

Assembly:

1. Slice bread into thick slices, and cut each slice in half. Brush them with olive oil on both sides.

2. Cook the bread in a dry sauté pan until golden brown on both sides. Immediately after cooking, rub one side with a clove of garlic.

3. Spread 1 spoonful of olive mayo on the bread, and top with the relish. (Keep in mind you can use a different spread here if you prefer, like my cucumber dill yogurt with ranch vibes).

4. With a fork/tweezer carefully remove 2-3 pieces of tuna and place nicely on top of the relish.

5. Finish with a couple of parsley leaves to decorate.

DO AHEAD: You can make the relish 3 or 4 days ahead and the olive mayo will keep for a solid week and a half in the fridge.

LEFTOVERS: Assembled toasts don’t keep very well since the relish will make the bread soggy after it sits for a while. If you have leftovers of each individual element, you can repeat the toasts the next day (you’re limited by the time the bread will stay fresh).