Ajvar – roasted red pepper and aubergine relish (Ajvar)

1. Roast the red peppers and aubergine whole on a grill, over a gas flame or in a 220 °C oven, turning them, for 30-40 minutes until the skins are blackened and the flesh is soft.

2. Cover in a bowl for 15 minutes, then peel; deseed the peppers, scoop out the aubergine flesh and leave both to drain in a sieve for 30 minutes.

3. Chop the vegetables very finely with a knife or pass them through a mincer (only pulse briefly in a blender – it shouldn't be a purée).

4. In a heavy-based pan, fry the crushed garlic in a little oil for 1 minute, add the vegetable pulp and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, adding the remaining oil a little at a time.

5. Cook for 60-90 minutes to a thick, glossy, spreadable relish; stir in the vinegar, sugar and salt at the end.

6. Serve cooled, spread on fresh bread or alongside grilled meats; poured into hot sterilised jars, it keeps through the winter.

Tip: Ajvar is the 'red gold' of autumn in Serbia and North Macedonia: in September families cook it in huge cauldrons in their yards. For a hot version, roast 2-3 hot peppers along with the sweet ones.