Every country in the Middle East has a roast-pepper-and-tomato combination. This is an Egyptian one.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　4 red or green fleshy bell peppers

　　6 large cloves garlic, whole, in their peels

　　3 large tomatoes, peeled and sliced

　　1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

　　4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon wine vinegar or juice of 1/2 lemon

　　Salt and pepper

　　

Step 1

Roast the peppers, then peel them and remove the seeds (see box at left). At the same time, broil the garlic cloves, unpeeled, until they just begin to feel soft, turning them over once.

　　

Step 2

Cut the peppers into strips. Peel the garlic. Put peppers and garlic in a serving bowl with the tomatoes and parsley or cilantro.

　　

Step 3

Dress with a mixture of oil and vinegar or lemon, salt and pepper.

　　

To Roast and Peel Bell Peppers

Step 4

Many dishes call for roasted bell peppers (red ones are riper and have a better taste). Choose fleshy peppers. Put them on an oven tray under the broiler, about 3 1/2 inches from the heat (or grill them on the barbecue). Turn them until their skins are black and blistered all over.

　　

Step 5

Alternatively, it is easier to roast them in the hottest oven for about 1/2 hour, or until they are soft and their skins begin to blister and blacken—they need to be turned once on their sides. To loosen the skins further, put the peppers in a strong plastic bag, twist it closed, and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. Another way, which has the same effect, is to put them in a pan with a tight-fitting lid.

　　

Step 6

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them and remove the stems and seeds. Keep the juice that comes out, straining it to remove the seeds, as it can be used as part of a dressing.

　　

Step 7

Roast peppers can be kept for a long time in a jar, covered in oil.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf