roasted peppers

.roasted peppers

This is the classical way to cook peppers. I would like to remind you that in past times, Sicilian grape-harvesters, in the very early morning, before beginning to work, had breakfast “a pivula”, in other words, with peppers roasted on embers.
By the way, what’s a “pivula”? It is a nocturnal animal (nobody has ever seen it, maybe it’s a barn owl) that hides in the very early morning and utters its last plaintive notes. Since this legend, the pivula indicates the nocturnal animal, the roasted peppers and also the time they’re prepared and eaten.
Light a fire using bundles of vine branches and wait the fire to become burning embers. Put over 6 peppers, 2 tomatoes, 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic. With a cane or a stick turn peppers, tomatoes and garlic upside down once in a while. After 20 minutes remove and place between two dishes (their heat will make them softer). Now remove the burnt skin from peppers and cut them into slices; with a fork mash the tomato pulp and garlic and stir together; dress with abundant oil, salt and peperoncino. This dish should be eaten quite immediately, otherwise it will become watery with the passing of time. If you don’t have embers, you can roast peppers on a gas mantle or an electrical plate or even a simple grill. But definitely, it’s different.