Peperoni al forno con pomodoro e acciughe

Baked peppers with tomatoes and anchovies

For 6

3 red and 3 yellow peppers

5 tablespoons olive oil

36 cherry tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into slivers

24 salted anchovy fillets, prepared (see here)

1 bunch fresh basil or marjoram

100 g (4 oz) salted capers, prepared (see here)

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180° C/350° F/Gas 4.

Halve each pepper lengthways and remove the core and seeds. Place the peppers in a lightly oiled baking dish, cut side up. Into each half pepper put 3 tomatoes, 2 slivers of garlic, 2 anchovy fillets, a few basil or marjoram leaves and 3–4 capers. Lightly drizzle the peppers with the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Pour about 300 ml (10 fl oz) water into the base of the baking dish to prevent the peppers from sticking. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Remove the foil, and reduce the oven temperature to 120–150° C/250–300° F/Gas 1/2–2, and bake for a further 40 minutes or until the peppers are soft.