It may sound intimidating to roast and marinate your own peppers, but I’m always surprised by how simple it actually is. This recipe is from my dad—the flavors (and smell of the marinade) was a little strong for me as a kid, but now I love it and am usually sorry that I didn’t make a bigger batch!
I’ve never tried to do a vegetarian version, but you could try leaving out the anchovies and adding a bit of salt and some extra capers.
Ingredients (Approximate):
4 red peppers, whole
9-12 anchovies
3-4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed (or 1 small shallot, sliced)
1-2 tablespoons capers
Olive oil
Note: these quantities are approximate and flexible. Feel free to adjust based on what you have on hand and/or your own preferences.
Instructions:
To the roast peppers, you can either use the broiler or a gas range. To use the broiler: lay the peppers on a tray and heat them in the broiler until the skin is black, about 3-5 minutes per side. Flip them until each side is black. To use a range: hold the pepper with tongs over the flame, turning and rotating until the whole skin is black. Repeat with each pepper.
Once the skin is blackened, let the peppers cool and steam on the inside. Some people put the peppers in a paper bag or other container, but I’ve never found this necessary. Once the peppers are cool, peel them, using a knife to remove any bits that don’t come off easily. Slice in quarters and remove the seeds and stem.
To marinate the peppers, combine all of the ingredients in a baking dish, covering the peppers with olive oil. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave out at room temperature at least overnight… I think they are ideal about 2-3 days later. Move them to the refrigerator when they’ve reached the desired strength (and to prevent them from growing mold).
Eating suggestions:
These peppers are delicious over slices of fresh mozzarella as an appetizer or served plain or with cheese (mozzarella or goat cheese) on toast. My dad used to also chop up the peppers and serve them over pasta— I think this is a great pasta dish with some goat or feta melted in and maybe some toasted pine nuts.
