Pan con Pimientos

Take two- to three-day-old bread, drizzle with oil, add heat and voila! It gets a crunchy exterior with a soft chewy centre. The classic starch to use is sourdough or ciabatta, but any bread will do. Serves 4

• 4 red peppers, plus 1 extra for the dip (see left)

• 8 slices (1cm thick) bread

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup basil leaves

• salt and pepper

Char the whole peppers on an open fire, turning them every few minutes to cook evenly, for 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a ziplock bag to steam for 5 minutes.

Wipe off the blackened skin using paper towel and remove the seeds. Set one pepper aside (for the dip) and cut the other four into thin slivers.

Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toast on a braai grid over low coals for 2 minutes each side.

Top each bread with a few slithers of red pepper and basil leaves, drizzle with more oil and season to taste.