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Peperoni
con Bagna Caôda (Sweet Peppers with
Anchovy Sauce)
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This
dish is the confluence of two of Piedmont's favorite tastes: peppers
and anchovies.
If you visit a Piedmontese home, the odds are good that one of the
antipasti served will be peperoni con bagna caôda.
The idea couldn't be simpler: baked red peppers brought to room temperature,
torn into wide strips, and liberally sauced with warm bagna caôda.
Both red and yellow sweet peppers are used.
Per
Person:
1
large red or yellow bell pepper,
stem removed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ small head garlic (about 1 ounce),
separated into cloves, peeled, and
very finely chopped |
¼
cup extra virgin olive oil
1 whole salted anchovy,rinsed,
filleted,soaked in cold water
briefly, drained,
and very finely chopped to a paste |
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Place
the peppers stem side down on a baking sheet and bake for approximately
30 minutes if the peppers are hothouse grown and 45 minutes to 1
hour if field grown.
The peppers are sufficiently cooked when the skins balloon from
the bodies of the peppers.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Slice
off the top and bottom of each pepper, remove the seeds, and slice
the pepper into 2 or 3 wide strips. Blot dry with paper towels.
To
make the sauce, add the butter to a small heavy-bottomed saucepan
over low heat.
When the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook for 10 minutes.
Then add the olive oil and anchovy and cook, whisking occasionally,
for at least 15 minutes, preferably longer. (The bagna caôda
can be set aside and gently reheated when needed.)
Place
the pepper strip on individual plates or one large platter. Spoon
the bagna caôda over the peppers and serve.
Copyright: Matt Kramer, "A Passion for Piedmont
- Italy's Most Glorious Regional Table"
William Morrow & Company Inc. NY, 1997
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