Baklazhannaya Ikra (Eggplant Caviar Odessa Style)
Submitted by Snake
Smoky roasted eggplant mashed with fresh tomato, garlic, and a splash of red wine vinegar. This Odessa-style eggplant caviar is a rustic Russian appetizer that’s just as good spread on pita as it is on dark rye bread.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
40 minCOOK
50 minREADY
90 minIn Odessa, they call this “poor man’s caviar” and honestly, it’s richer than most things money can buy.
Roast a whole eggplant until the skin blisters and the flesh goes impossibly soft, then fold it together with raw tomato, sharp onion, garlic, and a hit of red wine vinegar.
The result is a smoky, tangy spread that tastes like a Black Sea summer evening.
Serve it cold with torn pita or slices of dense cocktail rye, and watch it vanish before the main course ever hits the table.
Kitchen Tips
- Pierce the eggplant deeply before roasting so steam can escape. Skip this and you risk a messy explosion in your oven.
- Let the roasted eggplant cool completely before scooping out the flesh. Handling it hot leads to burns and a watery spread.
- Chop the pulp by hand rather than using a food processor. You want rustic texture, not baby food.
- A few hours in the fridge lets the flavors marry. This spread actually gets better overnight.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F. Pierce the eggplant in several places with a knife and bake, on a baking sheet, until soft, about 50 minutes, turing midway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and cool. Cut the eggplant, lengthwise, in half. Scoop out the pulp and chop until very fine. In a large bowl, combine the pulp with the onion, tomato, garlic, oil, and vinegar. Blend thoroughly and season with the slat and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Place in a serving dish and garnish with the parsley. Serve with pita triangles or cocktail rye bread.
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