Bulgarian chomlek
Inspired by the Menu magazine
Ingredients:
150 grams of mini onions
150 grams of shallots
6-8 cloves of garlic
250 g yellow peppers
300 g carrots
1 parsnip (160-180 g)
250 g celeriac
½ can of peeled tomatoes and their juice (200 g)
12-16 prunes (pitted)
80 ml of red wine
1 teaspoon paprika
6-8 tablespoons oil
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried savory
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Chop some of the shallots, the others (smaller ones) cut in half. Slice half the garlic, leave the rest unpeeled. Finely chop the peppers, cut the carrots and parsnips into slices, dice the celery and tomatoes (all peeled).
Sauté both types of onions in a deep pan with a few tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic and peppers. When they soften a little, add the carrots, celery and parsnips. Then stir in the paprika mixing a few seconds so as to enhance its flavor. Then incorporate the tomatoes. Cook a few minutes, lidded, flavoring the dish with the spices and wine. Season with salt.
Transfer everything in a ceramic dish. Then tuck the unpeeled garlic cloves and prunes among the vegetables. Drizzle with oil and pour about 1 cup of boiling water. Cover the pan and cook in the oven at 200°C for 50 minutes.
Then remove the lid and brown the chomlek until the sauce thickens. This could take a good 50 minutes (depending on the oven).
Serve the chomlek hot, though it is no less delicious at room temperature.
