Antipasti Peppers in Oil

As we’re following a bit of a sandwich theme this week, this is something the boy loves with a picante salami and a soft garlic sausage. You can buy it in jars but why would you when it’s so easy and cheap to make.

3 red or yellow peppers

3 garlic cloves

1tsp sea salt

Good pinch pepper

Good pinch chilli flakes

Good pinch oregano

Good pinch thyme

Extra Virgin olive oil – at least 2 cups

How easy is this? Peel the garlic – ours is fresh from the Isle of Wight - just score it so its flavours will leach out. This garlic is so fresh, it’s still sticky. If using supermarket garlic, slice it thickly.  Pour the oil into a bowl and pop the garlic in, along with the pepper, chilli, thyme and oregano. And the salt. Think this needs to be decent salt.

Quarter the peppers – now I’m convinced that half red half yellow would have been best, but too late for us as we have all red – 2 from the shop and one from the organic box. Cut out the stems, membranes and seeds. The boy can take those to the compost heap when he gets home. Quarter them and put them under a hot grill for 6 or 7 minutes until they blister and char. When the skin is mostly black, scoop them out with a fork and put them in a plastic bag so they can steam and the skin will be really easy to remove. (He says).

Let the peppers cool – messy bit now. Rub the skins off. The black bits will come off easily, the rest won’t. Don’t worry about it. If you get 80% off that will do. Wash hands with relief! Push the pepper pieces in the garlicky oil and let them soak everything up for a couple of hours. It will keep for about a week. Or less if the boy spots it and fancies a salami and cheese sandwich. Or two.