Roasted Pepper Caponata

Circle B Kitchen

1/4 cup olive oil.

4 large red peppers (or different colors)

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

3 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)

1 cup pitted green olives or kalamata olives, halved

1/4 cup capers in brine

2 anchovy filets

½ tsp Crushed red pepper

½ tsp kosher salt

¼ cup red or white wine vinegar or to taste

1 Tblsp sugar or to taste

1 Tblsp Dutch process cocoa or to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper or to taste

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley, roughly chopped.

Roasted the peppers (over flame or under the broiler) until blackened. Let cool, peel and slice. Set aside.

Saute onion in the olive oil until they just begin to color. Add the peppers and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the anchovies; smash into the olive oil and stir until they dissolve.

Add drained tomatoes, olives, capers and crushed red pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and add the vinegar, sugar and cocoa powder. Simmer for a few minutes and then taste and adjust the seasonings.

The key to the flavor principle of caponata is the balance between the sugar (sweet), vinegar (sour), anchovies (salt), and cocoa and parsley (bitter).

Caponata is best made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight.

To serve, bring to room temperature. Serving suggestions: top crostini and sprinkle with goat cheese; mix with your favorite pasta and top with feta cheese; spoon on top of fish or chicken; eat out of a bowl with a fork :).