Peppers and anchovies are a delicious standby appetizer, and when you use piquillos (page 47) and good anchovies (page 25)—packed in olive oil—they become even better. If you think using the garlic this way may be too strong for your tastes, simply cut a clove in half and rub the bread with it, then discard—or omit the garlic altogether.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 5 to 10 servings
Ingredients
10 slices French or Italian bread, roughly 3/4 inch thick, cut in half
1 teaspoon minced garlic
10 piquillo peppers, cut in half lengthwise, or 4 or 5 roasted peppers (page 470), cut into pieces
20 anchovies
Extra virgin olive oil, optional
Preparation
Lightly toast or grill the bread. Spread each piece with a tiny bit of garlic, then layer on a piece of piquillo and an anchovy. Drizzle with a little anchovy oil and/or olive oil. Serve within 1 hour.
The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.
MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
