Torn red pepper salad

his is based on a stunning looking ‘hand-torn' Mediterranean starter at Pearl, Geoff Lindsay's shimmering, opalescent restaurant in Melbourne. It looks like a bottomless pizza, and should be served with crusty bread or warmed flat bread. Lindsay is one of the most original, fresh-thinking chefs in Australia, as fluent with south-east Asian technique as he is with Mediterranean. I for one will be living on this right through autumn and summer.

Feeds 4

• 2 sweet red peppers
• 2 sweet yellow peppers
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 balls of fresh buffalo mozzarella
• 2 tbsp picked flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 tbsp Nicoise or Ligurian olives ( optional)

1. Cut the skin of the peppers into thumbnail-sized squares, discarding the central core and seeds. Combine the peppers with the olive oil, salt and pepper in a saucepan, and gently stew for 10 to 15 minutes, without allowing to brown. Remove from the heat and leave to cool until barely warm.
   
   
2. To serve, set out four dinner plates. Using a slotted spoon, arrange the peppers over the plate. Tear the parsley leaves into shreds in your fingers and scatter over the top. Drain the buffalo mozzarella and pat dry. Tear the soft, fresh cheese into small bits in your fingers (discarding any thick skin) and dot around the plate at random. Scatter with the olives if using. Drizzle with the pepper's cooking oils and serve.
   
   
3. Note: Don't rearrange the vegetables and cheese or you will lose the brilliance of the white against the red and yellow and things will get a bit muddy.