Italian bread salad

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 yellow bell peppers
• 600 g ciabatta or white bread, or similar
• 1 kg tomatoes
• 6 anchovies, or 12 anchovy fillets in oil
• 1 handful of capers, small
• 1 Celery , only the heart
• 1 handful of basil, or more if you like
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 10 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Heat the stovetop to high and add the peppers to the pan without oil, stirring frequently until the peppers are completely black. Place all the black peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the inner crust from the bread and tear it into thumb-sized pieces. Discard the crust. Place the bread pieces on a baking sheet and let it air dry. Wash the tomatoes and cut them into thumb-sized cubes. Add a little salt and let them drain in a sieve for 20 minutes, reserving the juice. Fillet the fresh anchovies and add them to the tomato juice with the capers. Pickled anchovies can be added directly with the capers. Finely chop the onions and the celery root. Place both in a bowl with the bread. Once the peppers have cooled, remove as much of the black pith as possible, as well as the stems and seeds. However, do not do this under running water, as this will destroy the aromatic flavor. Cut the peppers into 1 cm cubes and add them to the bowl. Squeeze the tomatoes in a sieve to remove any remaining liquid. Remove the anchovies from the liquid and set aside. Add the tomatoes to the bread. Roughly tear the basil and add it as well. Add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, and crushed garlic clove to the tomato juice. Mix everything well and season with salt and pepper. It shouldn’t be too strong, as the bread absorbs a lot of the flavor, which then distributes it evenly. Add the dressing to the salad. Shake the entire mixture gently. It’s important not to over-mix the salad, as otherwise the bread will fall apart too much! After mixing, taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Then shake again. Place the anchovies on top and serve.