I got this recipe from an old copy of Fine Preserving which is annotated by MFK Fisher in the version I have. I tried this particular recipe because she declared it one of the best in the book. Although I’ve only tried a dozen or so of the recipes, I have to agree. It’s green peppers cooked in olive oil and vinegar, with garlic, coriander, and paprika. She says to serve it as an appetizer, which I do. Sometimes I can make a meal of it if I have some good French bread to sop up the juice. Other times I layer the cooked peppers on a sandwich or add them to a salad. I do as she (MFK) suggests, and typically cook up at least two different colors of peppers. Today I used red and green. If you do that, cook them each up separately then combine in a jar.

The warning of botulism is a good one. I guess people sometimes think the oil protects against things from going bad, but botulism thrives without oxygen. The book says to keep them in refrigerator, of course, and to eat them up within 3-4 weeks. As MFK notes, they never last that long anyway around here.

2 peppers
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 pinches ground coriander
1/8 tsp of paprika
salt, maybe 1/8 tsp

Seed and devein the peppers, then slice into 1/2″ thick slices.

Combine everything in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until the peppers are soft, stirring periodically.

Peppers are on sale around here and this is a fantastically delicious treat! And of course, at the end you’re left with some wonderfully flavored oil for salad dressings and whatnot.