Peperoni Imbottite (Roasted peppers stuffed with eggplant, olives and capers) - Wine & Spirits Magazine

Peperoni Imbottite (Roasted peppers stuffed with eggplant, olives and capers)


Cucina Napoletana, Interlink Books, 2008

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Red peppers
  • 2 oz Eggplants, cut into ½-in cubes
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • 6 Slices of good-quality stale bread such as ciabatta or pane casereccio, cut into ½-in cubes
  • 3 oz Olives, pitted and halved
  • 2 1/2 oz Salted capers, rinsed and squeezed dry
  • 2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 Salted anchovy fillets, chopped
  • Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, picked and chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 300°F. Char the peppers over an open flame or on a hot grill until the skins are blistered and blackened in places. Carefully peel off the skin and discard. (Use rubber gloves if the peppers are too hot to handle; you can also put them in a plastic bag for a few minutes after charring, to help make the skins easier to remove.) Carefully remove and discard the stem, central membrane and seeds, taking care to keep the peppers whole.
  • Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and sauté for a few minutes until it starts to brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Using the same pan, gently fry the bread cubes until golden, adding a little extra oil if necessary.
  • Remove the bread to a bowl and carefully mix in the eggplant, olives, capers, garlic, anchovies and parsley to make a stuffing. Season with salt and black pepper. Using a spoon, fill the peppers with the stuffing until they are nice and plump and the stuffing is slightly mounded at the top. Arrange on a baking pan or dish, drizzle with extra olive oil and roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Pairing recommendation: Marisa Cuomo Costa d'Amalfi Ravello

    2007 vintage of Ravello rated by W&S critic Wolfgang Weber, 93 points, Best Buy


      This story appears in the print issue of December 2008.
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