This illuminates the pervasive Napoletano mastery over vegetables, the charred, sweet flesh of the peppers invigorated by the brine of the capers and olives, excited by the potency of the garlic and the pecorino, all of it hushed, then, by the raisins and the bread.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Roast the peppers—over a wood fire, under a broiler, in a hot oven, over a gas flame—until their skins are blackened and charred, their flesh tender. Place the roasted peppers immediately into a paper bag, folding it down tightly over them. Leave the parcel in a bowl, to catch the juices that will likely escape.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 3
When the peppers have cooled thoroughly, relieve them of their charred skins, which will slip off like pajamas. Take care to leave the stems intact and the peppers unwounded. Slit the peppers with a small, sharp knife, along a horizontal edge—about a 4-inch incision—and carefully scoop out their seeds. Sprinkle a generous pinch of sea salt into the interior of each and set them aside.
Step 4
In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, capers, raisins, olives, garlic, pecorino, and 2 tablespoons of the oil, working the ingredients into a well-amalgamated paste. With your hands or a small spoon, fill the peppers with the paste, dividing it equally among them, urging it into the far reaches of each pepper.
Step 5
Position the peppers, reclining, in a shallow terra-cotta or enameled cast-iron casserole. Combine the wine and the vinegar and douse the peppers. Place the peppers in the oven and braise them for 1/2 hour, basting with their juices twice during the process. Remove the peppers from the oven and permit them to cool to room temperature. They can wait up to 24 hours, covered and left in a cool place—not in the refrigerator.
Step 6
When you are ready to present them, drop threads of the remaining olive oil over them and carry them to table in their braising dish. Offer good bread for the irresistible juices and jugs of red wine. The peppers will support a very slight reheating should one wish to serve them tepid, but it is at cool room temperature that they are most gorgeous.
