Recipes

Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Raisins and Anchovies

James Beard

Author and Educator

The bell pepper is an underrated vegetable that should get more respect for its versatility and variety. Green and red peppers are the most ubiquitous, but orange, yellow, and even purple varieties have become common in the supermarkets. The best preparations for bell peppers involve removing the skin, which is often disagreeable, and the pepper becomes much more flavorful. It’s easy to do by roasting the pepper over an open flame, broiling it, or grilling it over coals until it’s blackened on all sides. Once the pepper is cool enough to handle, you can easily peel the skin right off.

Ingredients

  • 8 green or red peppers, skin removed
  • 2 1/2 cups bread croutons
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup raisins (regular or golden)
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 16 whole anchovies, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dry vermouth
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

If the skin has not already been removed from the peppers, parboil them in salted water for 10 minutes to soften. Split in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.

Sauté the croutons in butter and 2 tablespoons of the oil until golden brown.

Combine the croutons with the raisins, pine nuts, anchovies, garlic, parsley, vermouth, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Fill the peppers with this, top each with 1 teaspoon of oil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Yield

16 servings