Roasted Pepper Salad
The following recipe is from the September 10th edition of our weekly recipe newsletter. To receive this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here!
When roasting peppers, most cooks will tell you to cover the scorched veggies or put them in a paper bag until they are cool enough to handle. Not David Tanis, author of A Platter of Figs. He believes that too much steaming overcooks the peppers' delicate flesh. This week's recipe is for his version of a roasted pepper salad garnished with capers, olives, and fresh basil.
Roasted Pepper Salad
- makes enough for a small crowd -
Adapted from A Platter of Figs by David Tanis.
Ingredients
12 large sweet peppers, preferably a mix of yellow, orange, and red
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
Red wine vinegar
Olive oil
1/2 cup Niçoise olives, rinsed
Basil leaves
Procedure
1. Roast the peppers over an open flame, either a wood fire or on the stovetop, or under the broiler. Try to get the peppers as close to the flame as possible so their skins will blacken and blister quickly. Turn the peppers frequently with a pair of tongs so they roast evenly.
2. Spread the peppers on a baking sheet so they can cool to room temperature. Some cooks will tell you to cover the just-roasted peppers, or put them in a bag, but I believe too much steaming overcooks the flesh.
3. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, split them top to bottom with a large knife. Scrape the seeds from the insides, then turn each pepper half over and scrape away the charred skin. When all the peppers are scraped, slice them into 1-inch-wide strips and put them in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Add the garlic, capers, and a teaspoon or two of red wine vinegar.
4. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Toss again. Don't refrigerate the peppers—it'll kill their delicate flavor. Leave the salad at room temperature until ready to serve, up to several hours.
5. To serve, taste and adjust the seasoning, then mound the salad on a platter. Garnish with the olives. Drizzle with a little more oil. Decorate the salad with basil leaves.
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1 Comment:
A flavorful take on a traditional recipe, this salad is best appreciated for its leftover possibilities as pizza topper, pasta sauce base with chopped tomatoes or grilled chorizo, bruschetta topping, steak sandwich layer, omelette filling, wrap filling, etc.
SeattleDee at 12:43AM on 09/20/09