Fried Peppers, Potatoes, and Onions

Our classic Fried Peppers, Potatoes, and Onions recipe would feel right at home in either Leonia, NJ (United States) or Bagnara Calabra, Calabria (Italy); that is to say, it’s neither Italian American or American Italian, rather an Italian dish that can be made anywhere.

Fried Peppers, Potatoes, and Onions pair well with a grilled pork chop, pan sauteed swordfish or chicken cutlets.  Our recipe features red bell peppers, red onions, and potatoes and stores well (meaning it can be made in large quantities and used for leftovers).  A variation of the following recipe is called Peperonata or fried peppers and is a simpler dish.

Ingredients:

• Two red peppers cut into 1 – 1.5 inch strips (the yellow or orange variety would work as well; stay away from the green variety which do not seem to contain much flavor).
• 1 large red onion (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 large potatoes (cubed into 1 inch pieces)
• Finely chopped parsley
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar (optional)

Process:

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces.  Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl with cold water in order to remove some of the starch from the surface of the potatoes.  Place the potatoes in a large microwavable bowl and cook for 4 minutes on high.  Remove the potatoes and move to a large fry pan containing 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste and fry the potatoes until golden brown and remove to a clean plate.  Next, add the chopped garlic, red pepper flakes (optional),  peppers,  (fresh olive oil if necessary), salt and pepper, and cook until soft.  Add the red onions, a bit more salt, and cook until soft.  Place the cooked potatoes back in the fry pan along with the finely chopped parsley and stir well.   Cook until the potatoes are hot and serve.  Note: you can add a splash of good red wine vinegar at the very end of the cooking process if you’d like to add a bit of acidity to the dish.