Title: ROASTED PEPPERS WITH MOZZARELLA AND CARAMELIZ
Categories: Italian, Vegetables
Yield: 6 servings
4 md Yellow and red bell peppers
2 tb Extra-virgin olive oil
18 Garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 c Plus 1-1/2 teaspoons
Balsamic vinegar
2 Sprigs of fresh thyme OR
1/4 ts Dried
6 oz Fresh mozzarella cheese,
Sliced as thin as possible
1/4 c Coarsely chopped flat-leaf
Parsley or fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Roast the bell peppers directly over a gas flame
or under the broiler as close to the heat as possible,
turning, until charred all over, about 5 minutes.
Enclose the peppers in a paper bag and set aside for
10 minutes to steam. With a small knife, scrape off
the blackened skin; remove the cores, seeds and ribs.
Rinse under running water. Slice the peppers
lengthwise into 1-inch strips. (The recipe can be
prepared to this point up to 3 days ahead; cover and
refrigerate.) 2. In a small nonreactive skillet,
combine the olive oil and garlic. Cover and cook over
very low heat until the garlic is very tender, 7 to 10
minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to
moderate and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Stir
in the vinegar and thyme and cook for 1 minute. 3. To
assemble, decoratively arrange the pepper strips and
mozzarella slices on 6 small plates. Spoon the
caramelized garlic dressing over the peppers and
cheese and sprinkle the parsley and black pepper on
top. Serve at room temperature. (The salad can be
assembled up to 2 hours before serving.)
