Surprisingly, orange brings out the sweet, fruity flavor of peppers. If you don’t have mandarin- or orange-infused oil, use lemon-infused oil, or extra-virgin olive oil to which has been added the finely grated zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon.

Charred Red Peppers with Anchovies
Sizzle: Sensational Barbecue Food, Julie Biuso

4 red bell peppers
Mandarin-infused extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Handful of basil leaves
About 5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 anchovies in olive oil, drained
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Halve the peppers and remove seeds and soft membrane without disturbing the cores (cores will hold peppers together and keep the filling from spilling out). Rub peppers all over with mandarin-infused olive oil.

In a bowl, mix together cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, feta, and a little salt and pepper and spoon into the peppers. Top each with an anchovy and drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and a tiny drizzle of the mandarin-infused oil.

Cook peppers over medium heat on a double sheet of aluminum foil on a barbecue hot plate (cast-iron griddle) with the lid down for about 15 minutes or until peppers and contents are hot and starting to wilt a little and the bottom of the peppers are starting to char. If you have a top grill, flash peppers under it until crisp (or finish them off under an oven grill). Peppers can also be cooked in an oven preheated to 400° for about 15 minutes (or until feta has browned on top).

Serves 4–8.

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.