BALSAMIC GLAZED BELL PEPPERS More glorious summer colors and Mediterranean flavors here. Make sure to use large, thick fleshed, fresh peppers, yellow or red as the green ones are not sweet enough.
Capers are the edible buds of a hardy bush which grows on walls and rocky soils in the Aeolian islands, near Sicily. If possible, use small capers preserved in salt, they are more aromatic and less pungent than the pickled ones. This is a simpler version of a recipe I found on Antonio Carluccio’s book “Southern Italian feast”.
Recipe
- 2 large red or yellow peppers
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Deseed the peppers and cut them in 1/2-inch wide strips. Put the oil and pepper strips in a large, heavy based, pan and cook over fairly high heat for 10 min., stirring often to prevent burning.
Lower the fire, move the peppers strips towards the edge of the pan and add the pressed garlic, and anchovy, stirring quickly until the anchovy melts. Add vinegar, stir for a few more minutes, sprinkle with chopped basil and remove from the fire. Let it rest for at least one hour and up to two days, it improves with time. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Serves 4
OMG: My stomach is talking to that picture!
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Hi Menehune, if you make them today they’ll be great on toasted bread tomorrow!
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Letizia, this must be both sweet (from the bell peppers) and tangy at the same time, what a great combination! I’m sure it does improve with time!
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Hi Sandra, it’s a great make ahead dish and goes well with roast, perfect for a dinner party 😉
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Love the colors in the photograph!
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thanks Peter, the picture is quite realistic, you can see the dish served after a cooking class here http://tinyurl.com/nxgs2a
together with some other delicious stuff
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This remains one of our favorite recipes from last year. Wonderful combination of flavors and easy to prepare.
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Thanks Eric and many greetings to you and LaNita!
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We don’t usually like anchovies… What do they add to the dish? Can we not use them and still be delicious?
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Hi Alison
I do know that many people outside Italy don’t like anchovies because Italian restaurants abroad use ridiculous amounts of them making the dishes unpalatably salty. I have written a whole article about the use of anchovy in Italian cuisine
https://madonnadelpiatto.com/2010/02/09/the-5th-taste/
Anchovy, like other ingredients contribute a umami taste, meaning they enhance the flavor, you don’t even want to taste them. My advice is to try the recipe with the tiniest bit of anchovy to see if it is acceptable for you. If it really isn’t, then try with a tiny sprinkle of organic bouillon powder. It’s not going to be the same, but it’s probably the closest substitute.
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