How to Roast Peppers

You can roast whole peppers (sweet or hot, depending on what you intend to use them for) over a very hot wood or charcoal fire. Place peppers directly on the grill (if it's still flaming a bit, so much the better!) and turn frequently with tongs to allow the skins to blister and blacken. Roasted peppers are wonderful on their own or as a recipe ingredients.

When the peppers are charred, remove them from the fire and place in a food grade plastic bag. Allow some air to remain in the bag and loosely tie. The steam that will form in the bag will help to remove the skin. Let cool for about fifteen minutes or until you can easily handle the peppers. Remove from bag and use your hands to peel off the skins. Cut off the stem end and slice the peppers open. Remove the core and seeds and cut into strips.

Alternatively, you can use one of these other methods to roast peppers:

You can roast and blacken the pepper on the burner directly over the gas flame on your stovetop (have a fire extinguisher nearby and never try this with an electric stove).

If you don't have an open fire, you can also roast peppers in the oven or under a broiler. Put the peppers directly on the oven rack and roast until blistered and charred. Proceed as above. Quarter, core and seed larger peppers before roasting this way.


Copyright © July 3, 2008