Sunday, January 24, 2010

Warm Roasted Pepper Salad



We don’t have cable, but if we did we’d be in trouble. Tristan for his sports addiction and me for being a cooking show junkie. We actually get by quite nicely with Netflix. But can I say thank god for PBS? Not only do they air old black and white Julia Child episodes, they have Ming Tsai, Lidia Bastianich and America’s Test Kitchen in their line-up. And in my opinion, these shows are far superior to anything you’ll find on the Food Network.

That said, I was half awake one night on the sofa watching Lidia’s Italy. I really should’ve retired to bed but she was about to make a roasted pepper salad that sounded incredible. I watched, salivated and hoped I’d remember it the next day.

Good thing I did because this salad blew our socks off. The oven-roasted peppers were sweet and juicy while the capers, anchovies and olives contributed earthiness, saltiness and brine. I served it with pan fried white fish for dinner and then alongside scrambled eggs the next day for breakfast. The muffled “mmmm’s” and “ahhh’s” between forkfuls proved its worthiness.



Roasted Red Pepper Salad with Capers, Anchovies and Olives
Don’t even consider using jarred roasted peppers – the slightly warm, just roasted flavor is what knocks this out of the park. Adapted from Lidia’s Italy.

6 bell peppers, preferably 2 red, 2 yellow and 2 orange 
Olive oil
Salt
6 anchovy fillets, minced
1 heaping tablespoon capers
Rounded 1/3 cup oil-cured black olives
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Wash and dry bell peppers and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush outsides with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake until charred and very soft (they’ll start collapsing), about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
When cool enough to handle, peel skin away from peppers. Pull out stems, cut each pepper open and scrape out seeds. Using your fingers, tear peppers into 1-inch wide strips and place in a bowl. Add anchovies, capers, olives and parsley and mix well. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.


7 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for posting this recipe! I watched Lidia's show on PBS a week ago but couldn't find this recipe anywhere. Looks delicious & flavorful! I'm making it right now. :)

NudeFood said...

That's great, Kavita! Let me know how it turns out.

Unknown said...

I too saw Lydia's show with this recipe, but didn't write it down and ended up fretting that I might forget something. So thank you for posting this. Turns out I did remember all the ingredients, but I'm going to add a mixture of fresh basil and parsley instead of parsley alone. Doesn't that sound good?

NudeFood said...

Merrill, thanks for the great idea. I think fresh basil would be a wonderful addition! And like Insalata Caprese, I bet this salad would make a tasty meal during the hot summer months (with crumbled feta and a side of crusty bread).

Rebekah said...

I watched this episode and was drooling to make it too! Thanks for posting the recipe.

But the anchovies... I've never been a fan but I wanted to give it a try. I bought anchovies in a tin with oil and frankly couldn't stomach the smell when I opened it, so ended up making the recipe without. Any advice? Am I using the wrong kind, or just need to get more used to them?

detroitgirl said...

thank you for posting this!

Peter Pawlak said...

Do you by any chance have Joanne Weir's recipe for shellfish stew with orzo from her show on PBS Create? The same case as with Lidia's recipe.....couldn't find it until I found your blog.
Thanks!