Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 slices of ciabatta, 0.5cm thickness each
- 4 ripe plum tomatoes
- 2 yellow peppers
- 2 red peppers
- 1 clove of garlic
- sprig of thyme
- 8 anchovy fillets
- 20g capers
- 100g pitted black olives
- 30ml red wine vinegar
- 100ml olive oil
- ½ bunch basil
- 1 tsp of caster sugar
Method
- Prepare a large bowl of cold water.
- Roast peppers directly on a naked flame, slowly rotating for 4-5 minutes until their skin has fully blackened. Once done, submerge the peppers in the cold water to cool.
- Rub peppers with your hands to remove the charred skin (residual char will help add flavour), and proceed to halve the peppers once their seeds and core have been removed. Slice the pepper lengthways into 1cm thick strips.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and gently cook the peppers for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic clove, thyme, and sugar – and cook for an additional minute. Afterwards, give the peppers a drizzle of red wine vinegar and transfer to a bowl.
- Bring a pan of water to a boil. Using a small knife, remove the eye of the tomatoes on the top and score a criss-cross pattern on the bottom. Cook tomatoes for 10 seconds, before removing and submerging into an iced water bath. Proceed to peel, quarter and de-seed the tomatoes once cooled.
- Cut the quarters in half lengthways and add them to the peppers.
- Add the olives, capers, anchovies, and torn basil after the garlic and thyme have been removed.
- Lightly oil the ciabatta and place on a hot griddle for 30 seconds on each side.
- To serve, present the ciabatta on a plate with the salad on the side.
Recipe courtesy of Jun Tanaka, chef of Salisterra at The Upper House in Hong Kong.