Cevapcici S Ajvarom ( Balkan Country Sausage)

Ingredients

• 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1/3 lb ground chuck
• 1/3 lb ground lamb
• 1/3 lb ground pork
• 2 tablespoons hot paprika
• 1 2/3 teaspoons dried savory
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 yellow onion (1/2 grated, 1/2 thinly slice)
• 1 medium eggplant
• fresh ground white pepper
• 1/4 cup soda water (seltzer, tonic)
• 3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 7 tablespoons olive oil (7, extra virgin)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• pita bread, and
• sour cream

Directions

1. 1

   Roughly chop 4 garlic cloves with 1/2 tsp salt, using flat side of large knife, mash garlic into a paste. Transfer to a bowl, mix with beef, lamb, pork and half the paprika, savory, cayenne, GRATED onion, 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper. Add soda water; bea with a spoon till tacky. Knead with with your hands for 3 minutes; cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

2. 2

   Knead mixture once more for about 1 minutes, then shape into sixteen 3" long sausages. Transfer to a sheet pan. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat broiler, with rack 6 inches from broiler element. Arrange peppers and eggplant on foil lined baking sheet in a single layer, cut sides down. Rub with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Broil, turning once, till softened and somewhat charred, 14-15 minutes. Remove and discard skins from peppers. Scoop flesh from eggplant, discard skin and largest seeds. Pulse eggplant and 4 tablespoons olive oil in food processor with remaining garlic to make a coarse puree; transfer to a bowl. Puree peppers, add to eggplant and stir in remaining paprika, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set sauce aside.

4. 4

   Heat remaining olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Cook sausages, turning occasionally, till browned, 6-8 minutes. Serve with sauce, pita bread and sour cream.