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Sunday 26 August 2007

Stuffed Summer Peppers

Ingredients

2 medium red peppers
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4 plum tomatoes, skinned (see tip)
handful of fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
125g buffalo mozzarella cheese, sliced
8 anchovy fillets, drained

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C.
2. Cut the peppers in half lengthways, carefully cutting through the stem so it remains with each half pepper. Core and de-seed the peppers.
3. Lightly oil an oven tray and arrange the peppers, cut side up, onto the tray. Place a little sliced garlic in the base of each pepper. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds, if required.
4. Place some basil leaves into the bottom of each pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff the tomato halves into each pepper and drizzle over the olive oil.
5. Carefully pour a splash of water into the baking tray around the peppers (this will assist with steaming the peppers). Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes.
6. Arrange the mozzarella on top of the tomatoes. Place the anchovies over the peppers in a criss-cross fashion and return the tray to the oven, for about 3-4 minutes, until the cheese begins to melt.
7. Lay the salad leaves onto the base of a plate and top with the peppers. Serve immediately.

Tip:
To skin the tomatoes, make a little cross on top of each tomato. Place in a large bowl of boiling water for 20 seconds if ripe (40-45 seconds if unripe). The skin should come away easily.