There are a few dishes I call kitchen help –I keep them around to help me get a nice meal on the table in very little time. Actually, they’re more condiments or relishes than full-fledged dishes. I can make them quickly (and in advance, when I’m that organized) from common or pantry ingredients and then add them at the last minute to simply cooked meat, poultry or fish to make a fast, everyday meal more special. Chimichurri, Romesco and a Lemon and Olive Relish are stand-bys at our house, and Peperonata is a new favorite.
The ingredients are simple and readily available, but at their peak right now: sweet red peppers and red onions. They’re cooked until they’re sweet and mellow but still firm, and I like to spike them with the intense flavors of fresh oregano and capers, but the herbal accents are really up to you. A little reduced vinegar is all you need to finish the dish with a nice sweet-and-sour note.
The fate of this batch shows peperonata’s versatility. On Tuesday, I piled it on toasted bread with some feta for lunch. On Thursday, I scattered a couple of forkfulls and a little crumbled feta on top of warm flatbread to make a hot-out-of-the oven cocktail snack. And on Saturday, the rest made a colorful side dish for grilled rib-eyes, and swordfish for the non-carnivores at the table.
Recipe
(all quantities are approximate –makes about six servings)
Ingredients
3 or 4 ripe sweet red peppers, depending on size
2 medium red onions
2 tablespoons of capers (preferably packed in salt)
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves (tender stems are fine too)
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves
About 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
About 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Remove the stems, ribs and seeds from the peppers and cut them into strips. Slice the onions thinly.
2. Rinse and dry the capers in a dish towel. Warm about 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat for about a minute. Drop in the capers and fry them until they “bloom” and get crispy, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. (If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step. I think it mellows and matures the flavor of the capers, but it’s not essential.)
3. Add the peppers, onions and thyme to the pan. Cook, tossing frequently, until the onions are translucent (don’t let them color) and the peppers are tender but still retain some crispness, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the capers and about 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pan. Cook for about two more minutes, and then taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a shallow bowl or dish, add the oregano leaves and toss.
5. Add the vinegar to the same pan, and, over low heat, reduce it by about half. (This will take less than a minute, so watch it closely.) Pour the reduced vinegar over the peperonata, toss and taste again for seasoning. If the dish tastes a little sour or bitter, it’s probably because your peppers weren’t quite ripe enough. Nor to worry, though, a pinch or two or sugar can bring the flavors into balance.
Serve warm or at room temperature with grilled or roasted beef, chicken or meaty fish like tuna or swordfish. Top toasted bread with peperonata and chunks of feta or ricotta salata to make mouth-watering crostini, or tuck some into a roast beef or chicken breast sandwich for lunch.
Peperonata will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
