Samfaina

Name: Samfaina
Prep time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants, peeled and diced very small; 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 medium Spanish onions, very finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 red bell peppers; 2 medium zucchini, finely chopped; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

Samfaina is a cooked vegetable dish that comes from Spain and features eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and sometimes peppers. It is similar to a French Ratatouille. My version uses small diced vegetables that are cooked down for many hours to create an incredible base for fish, pork or chicken dishes. In Spain on our Foodie Trips, I serve the Samfaina with seared Dorada (Gilted Sea Bream) fillets, see picture above.

Peel and cut the eggplant into a small dices. Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towel. Spread the chopped eggplant over the paper towel and sprinkle with the salt. Set aside for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, place the eggplant in a colander and squeeze out the liquid.

Roast the bell peppers over an open flame, charring the skin. Place in a plastic bag to steam for 3 minutes. Peel away the skin and cut in half to remove the seeds and membranes. Dice the bell peppers.

Watch my video above on roasting peppers.

Heat a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil and add the chopped onions. Cook, stirring often, until they soften, about 8 minutes.

Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and the garlic and mix in. Cook for 30 seconds while stirring.

Add the remaining olive oil, eggplant, diced-roasted bell peppers, zucchini and black pepper. Turn the heat to low, stir, cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

This recipe calls for peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes which the French refer to as “Tomato Concasse.” The process starts with coring the tomato and cutting a shallow “X” on the bottom, which allows for easier peeling of the skin. The tomatoes are submerged into boiling water for 10-30 seconds (depending upon the ripeness of the tomato) and then shocked in a cold water bath to stop the cooking.

Next, cut the tomatoes in half (widthwise along the equator) and gently squeeze out the seeds.

The final step to “tomato concasse” is to dice them.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, cover again and cook until the mixture has reduced to a thick relish, 2 to 3 more hours, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.

Samfaina

Recipe by Michael SalmonCourse: SidesCuisine: SpanishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking Time

Hours

Samfaina should be prepared a few hours before using - make the day before if at all possible.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants, peeled and diced very small
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium Spanish onions, very finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers
2 medium zucchini, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

Directions

Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towel. Spread the chopped eggplant over the paper towel and sprinkle with the salt. Set aside for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, place the eggplant in a colander and squeeze out the liquid.
Roast the bell peppers over an open flame, charring the skin. Place in a plastic bag to steam for 3 minutes. Peel away the skin and cut in half to remove the seeds and membranes. Dice the bell peppers.
Heat a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil and add the chopped onions. Cook, stirring often, until they soften, about 8 minutes.
Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and the garlic and mix in. Cook for 30 seconds while stirring.
Add the remaining olive oil, eggplant, diced-roasted bell peppers, zucchini and black pepper. Turn the heat to low, stir, cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, cover again and cook until the mixture has reduced to a thick relish, 2 to 3 more hours, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.