Crudites With Roasted Red Pepper Dip And Eggplant Caviar - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 None medium red peppers, deseeded and quartered
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 None anchovies, chopped coarsely
2 tsp thyme leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
10 None mint leaves, chopped coarsely
None None salt and freshly ground black pepper
None None Eggplant caviar
1 None large eggplant
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 None medium tomato, seeded and chopped finely
10 None basil leaves, shredded finely
None None Crudites
3 stalks trimmed celery, cut into lengths
1 bunch small radishes, trimmed, halved if large
1 bunch baby carrots, peeled
1 None endive, leaves separated
1 None radicchio, leaves separated
None None french bread, sliced, to serve

Preparation

To make the roasted red pepper dip: Preheat the grill to hot. Place the peppers on a grill pan, skin side up and roast until skin blisters and blackens. Cover the pepper pieces in plastic or paper for 5 mins, then peel away the skin and then slice thinly. Next, heat the oil in a large pan and add the pepper slices, anchovies, thyme and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the mint, then remove from the heat. Spoon the mixture into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Season.
To make the eggplant caviar, first preheat the oven to 425\u00b0F. Prick the eggplant all over with a fork, then place on a baking tray. Roast for about 25 mins or until very soft. Cool for 15 mins, then peel away the skin. Place the eggplant flesh in a colander over a bowl and allow to stand for 20 mins to drain away the bitter juices. Transfer to a large bowl and mash with a fork until almost smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Season.
Serve the dips warm or at room temperature with the raw vegetables (crudites) and bread.