This recipe is quite simply stunning: hard to imagine how something so easily prepared can taste so good.

It is another one of our Summer staples, from Delias Summer Cookery. It was however Elizabeth David who first discovered it and published in her splendid book Italian Food.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4 as a starter

4 large red peppers
6 medium tomatoes
8 tinned anchovy fillets, drained
2 cloves garlic
8 dessert spoons Italian extra virgin olive oil
freshly milled black pepper
small bunch fresh basil leaves

METHOD

Begin by cutting the peppers in half and removing the seeds but leaving the stalks intact.

Lay the pepper halves in the lightly oiled roasting tray.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Leave them for 1 minute, then drain them and slip the skins off. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and divide between the peppers.

Snip one anchovy fillet per pepper half into rough pieces and add. Peel the garlic cloves, slice them thinly and divide the slices equally among the tomatoes and anchovies.

Now spoon 1 dessertspoon of olive oil into each pepper, season with freshly milled pepper (but no salt because of the anchovies) and place the tray on a high shelf in the oven for the peppers to roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Then transfer the cooked peppers to a serving dish, or in individual bowls, with all the precious juices poured over, and garnish with a sprig of basil leaves.

These do need good bread to go with them as the juices are sublime.

Original recipe Elizabeth David Italian Food