CHARGRILLED MARINATED CAPSICUM WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, CAPERBERRIES & MUSTARD CRUMBS

SERVES 4-6 AS A SIDE / PREPARATION 15 MINUTES / COOKING 30 MINUTES

I love the generous flavour of caperberries, however capers can be used in their place if preferred. Prepare the mustard crumbs up to 2 days in advance and store in an airtight container or jar. Fresh oregano is strong, so a few leaves are sufficient.

FOR THE MUSTARD CRUMBS

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 slices bread (gluten-free if needed),

crusts removed and bread roughly torn

4 capsicums (choose from red, yellow or orange) 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

250g cherry tomatoes, halved a small handful of caperberries

(or 1 tablespoon capers) a few fresh oregano leaves, roughly torn

or a pinch of dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 160℃. Combine the mustards, garlic and olive oil in a shallow bowl, season with a little fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir through the bread to evenly coat. Transfer to an oven tray and bake, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, (they will crisp up further). These crumbs can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container or jar.

Preheat a barbecue to a medium-high heat. Chargrill the capsicums, turning often, until black and charred all over. Remove from the heat and place into a bowl, top with a plate and set aside for 10 minutes. Slip the blackened skins off, discard the stems and seeds and finely slice the capsicum. Transfer the capsicum to a bowl and add the red wine vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Season with fine salt and freshly ground black pepper. At this stage you can continue with the recipe, or store the capsicums in a lidded container in the fridge for 2-3 days (returning them to room temperature before serving).

To serve, combine chargrilled marinated capsicum in a bowl with the halved cherry tomatoes, caperberries (or capers) and a little oregano. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and scatter with mustard crumbs just before serving, to ensure they stay crisp.