Peppers Piedmontese

Method

1. First, you need to skin the tomatoes (tedious perhaps, but necessary here). So, place a large pan of salted water on to boil. Using a small paring knife, remove the core from each tomato, then turn upside down and mark a small cross on the base. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water. Almost immediately (as long as the tomatoes are ripe) the skin will begin to peel back, like the petals of a flower. Remove at once with a slotted spoon and leave to cool slightly.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Halve the peppers lengthways and remove the core, seeds and white pith. Lay the pepper halves, skin side down, in a shallow baking tray that will hold them comfortably.
3. When the tomatoes are cool enough, peel, halve and remove the seeds using a teaspoon, then very roughly chop the flesh. Tear the basil leaves into pieces.
4. Fill the pepper halves with the pieces of tomato, garlic slices, torn basil leaves and chopped anchovies. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and season well with pepper (not salt at this point, as the anchovies may well provide all that is needed). Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the peppers are soft and slightly blackened around the edges, but still holding their shape.
5. Check the seasoning and allow the roasted peppers to cool – room temperature is the ideal warmth to really appreciate the summery flavours of this dish.
6. Arrange the peppers on a big oval plate so everybody can help themselves, or on individual plates if you prefer. Tear the mozzarella into pieces with your hands and scatter over the peppers, along with the olives and roasted red onions. Spoon over the basil oil to serve.