Though roasting peppers can be somewhat of a tedious and messy endeavor, the taste is something magical. Roasting intensifies their flavor and brings out their natural sweetness. In the following recipe, a great side dish to cod loin or grilled chicken, I combine roasted sweet peppers with the briny taste of black olives. A layer of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese provide texture and make for a beautiful presentation. Note that it is essential to use coarse homemade breadcrumbs. Anything else will ruin the dish.
Gratin de Poivrons
Serves: 2
- 6 sweet peppers, (red, yellow and orange)
- 100g stoned kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 25g breadcrumbs (made from stale bread)
- 2 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese
- good olive oil
- freshly-cracked pepper
Place your peppers on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and grill them under a 250°C grill for 20 minutes, flipping them over after 10 minutes. The skins should be charred in some places and the peppers soft. Place the hot peppers either in a large Ziploc bag or in a plastic bowl with tightly fitting lid. Allow the peppers to rest for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Carefully peel of the skins, remove all the seeds and cut the peppers into strips. Mix the pepper strips with the chopped kalamata olives and parsley. Transfer the mixture to a small, round oven dish of approximately 18cm. Scatter the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese over the dish and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a grinding of fresh pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden.