Red peppers and potatoes

Peperoni e patate

By: Emiko Davies
From: Acquacotta
Serves: 4 as a side dish or light lunch
Photographer: Emiko Davies; Lauren Bamford

This is a bit like a peperonata and a bit like a gurguglione – a summer vegetable stew with a pirate name from Elba Island, it’s made with diced eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgettes), capsicums (bell peppers), tomato and potato. One day I wanted to make a gurguglione, but realised I was missing a few ingredients, so had to improvise. This is now a summer staple in our house. Like anything with capsicums, it just gets tastier the longer you keep it, so I like to make a big batch and eat it over the next few days. This always turns out to be a great idea, especially during hot weather when you don’t want to turn on the stove very much at all. Have it as a side dish to grilled fish or meat; on its own, topping some good crusty bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil; or cold, for lunch the next day, with some fresh mozzarella and a few slices of prosciutto.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
2	large red capsicums, about 600–700 g
2-3	ripe tomatoes
or 125g	tinned chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons	extra-virgin olive oil
1	brown onion, finely sliced
1	garlic clove, sliced
3	medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 handful	basil, oregano and/or parsley, roughly chopped

Method

Rinse the capsicums. Then remove the stems, cut in half, pull out the seeds and slice into strips. Set aside.
If using fresh tomatoes, score their bottoms with a sharp knife, making a cross. Blanch them in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, then remove them to a bowl of ice water. The skins can now be easily peeled. Cut into quarters and remove the seeds. Chop the rest of the tomato flesh and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over low heat and cook the onion for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and the capsicums, along with about 125 ml of water. Cover and let them cook, stirring every now and then and checking on their progress, until the capsicums have completely given way and are soft. About 30 minutes is sufficient, though I usually prefer to let them go a bit longer, about 40 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the potatoes and some more water – about 125 ml – along with a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has thickened to a sauce, about 15–20 minutes.
Taste for seasoning, remove from the heat and scatter over the herbs. You can serve this hot, warm or even cold.

Tags:: Italian; Tuscany

Red peppers and potatoes

Peperoni e patate

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