Red Pepper and Olive ‘Relish’ – Mezedáki apó Eliès kai Piperiés Florínis

 

This is a really easy side dish, great as a topping for toast or a side dish with cured meat.

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3 large, long red peppers   (the ‘Romano’ or similar – in Greece this would be ‘Florina’ type peppers.)

3  whole cloves of garlic, with the skins on

Small handful of the wrinkly black olives (known in Greece as hamádes) – stones removed

Olive oil

Half a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoonful of chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

Slice the red peppers into fairly long, thin strips.

In a medium sized frying pan heat up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, add the pepper slices and the whole garlic cloves. Cook  on a medium heat, for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. The idea is to end up with  soft, gooey strips of red pepper and soft squishy cloves of garlic.You mustn’t let it burn or the garlic will become bitter.

Squeeze the flesh of the garlic out of the papery skins – get rid of the skins.

Now add the olive to the pan and cook for another few minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove from the heat, add the balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil and season.

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.