PEPPER STEW

SERVES 4 TO 6

THE ORIGIN OF THIS STEW may be in the piperades of the Basque country of south-western France and northeastern Spain, but my version is lighter, brighter, and easier to cook. It’s all about building a sweet foundational flavor of onions and peppers. Sure, ginger and lemongrass are not traditional, but I like what they do to peppers. It’s up to you to decide if you’d like to include hot peppers or Hot Pepper Oil (here) to increase the intensity of heat.

¼ cup olive oil

1½ pounds sweet, mild peppers, halved, seeded, and sliced

1 (4-inch) piece lemongrass, bruised

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

Salt and pepper

Handful black olives, pitted

1 tablespoon capers, drained

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Pinch dried oregano

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

Fresh lemon juice

Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Handful fresh basil, roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper, and give it a stir. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the mixture stew, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are just soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the olives, capers, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and oregano and stir for about a minute, letting the vinegar evaporate. Add the onions and a nice splash of lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened but still have a crunch, 5 to 10 minutes. (It might seem strange to save the onions until the end, but it lets them have more texture rather than melting into the stew.) Stir in the parsley and basil and serve hot or at room temperature.