Mayo-Free Red Pepper Dip From 'Soul Food Love'
Photo: Penny De Los Santos
From Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week: Soul Food Love by Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams
Red Spread
Makes 2 cups
In 1965, just after Lyndon Johnson got the Voting Rights Act passed by the Senate but before he could get it through the House, an international congress of writers organized by PEN met in Yugoslavia. My great-grandparents, Arna and Alberta Bontemps, were members of the PEN group, led by playwright Arthur Miller, who traveled to Europe. Alberta told the story of being entertained by President Tito with great pride and considerable humor. Her tale involved foreign dignitaries as well as gastric distress. This didn’t stop her from recounting her memories of ajvar, a delicious red pepper spread, one of the few Yugoslavian dishes she could re-create in her kitchen. Twenty-plus years later, Mama travelled to Yugoslavia with her college roommate Mimi, who became my godmother, and fell in love with ajvar all over again. It’s a fine dip that, unlike so many Southern spreads, does not rely on sour cream or mayonnaise.
We love to serve red spread on raw red pepper strips. It’s also great on raw cucumber slices.
4 large red bell peppers
1 medium eggplant
3 garlic cloves
1⁄2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat the broiler.
Put the peppers on the top rack of the oven, directly under the broiler. Allow the skins of the peppers to blister. When they have blistered on one side, turn them to another, using tongs and being careful not to burn your hand! When the peppers are blistered on all sides, remove them from the broiler, put them directly in a clean brown paper or plastic bag, and close the bag. Allow the peppers to steam, then rest, in the bag until the bag is cool. This may take about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prick the eggplant all over with a fork. Broil it until it is blistered all over. Remove from the broiler and set on a cutting board to cool. While the eggplant is cooling, peel and seed the cooled peppers. Then peel the eggplant.
In a food processor combine the red pepper, eggplant, and garlic, and whirl until the mixture begins to become smooth. Slowly add the olive oil with the motor running. Whirl until completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately or refrigerate in a glass jar for up to several days.
Like this? Try some other dips and spreads:
Make French onion dip from scratch
Top With Cinnamon blogger Izy Hossack’s chickpea and pomegranate dip
Cream cheese with pepper jelly, a hot-sweet Southern throwback
