A beloved dish of the Palestinian olive harvest, Qalayet Bandourah is simple, rustic, and made for sharing. Ripe tomatoes are gently roasted in generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil alongside whole garlic cloves and hot peppers until softened and beautifully caramelized. Traditionally prepared over a bonfire after the coals have settled, it can just as easily be made on a gas stove. Serve straight from the skillet with fresh pita or crusty bread to soak up every bit of the flavorful olive oil.
Ingredients
- Ripe red tomatoes, halved
- 1 head of garlic, peeled into whole cloves
- Hot peppers (jalapeños or serranos), split lengthwise
- 100 ml Canaan extra virgin olive oil (for an 8-inch skillet)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Arrange the tomato halves in the skillet, skin side down, filling the pan in a single layer.
- Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 3–4 minutes.
- Add the whole garlic cloves and split peppers, tucking them between the tomatoes.
- Continue cooking until the tomato skins, garlic, and peppers begin to look roasted.
- Carefully turn the tomatoes one at a time so the flesh faces down and the skins face up. Turn the garlic cloves and peppers as well to roast the other sides.
- If needed, increase the heat for a couple of minutes to help the tomatoes roast.
- Sprinkle a little more salt over the tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, until they have softened but haven’t completely fallen apart.
- Remove from the heat and serve warm, straight from the skillet.
TO SERVE: Enjoy with taboon bread, fresh pita, sourdough, or crusty Italian bread. The bread is essential for soaking up the olive oil and all the rich flavors left in the pan.
