How to Roast Peppers
When you roast peppers over high heat, their skins blacken and blister.
Peel off the blackened skins and you'll find sweet, tender flesh with a
pleasantly smoky taste.
Any fresh pepper can be roasted, but those with thick flesh, such as bell
peppers and jalapenos,
work best.
Select a heat source. Peppers are best roasted over a live fire, such as
a gas burner or a
charcoal or gas grill. Lacking those, you can use a broiler.
Turn the heat to High (or turn on the broiler). If using a broiler, cut
the pepper in half and remove
the stem, veins, and seeds. Place the pepper on a broiler pan. Coat the
pepper lightly with oil.
Broil for 5 to 7 minutes, or, using metal tongs, place the flesh of the
pepper directly in the flame
of the burner or as close to the heat source as possible. Rotate the pepper
as the flesh closest to
the heat blackens and blisters. Remove the pepper when it has blackened
completely.
Place it in a bowl and cover to allow it to steam (or put the peppers in
a paper bag and close it).
After 15 to 20 minutes, scrape off and discard the blackened skin.
Remove and discard the seed pod, stem and inner ribs before using.
Tips & Warnings
When one part of the skin has blistered and turned black, try to keep it
away from the
heat while you blacken the rest of the pepper.
The pepper should be very black. In fact, it will look burned, but if
done properly and quickly,
only the outer skin will blacken, and the flesh of the pepper will remain
its natural color.
To preserve as much of the smokiness and roasted flavor, try to scrape the
skin off and discard
it without rinsing the pepper in the sink. Roasted peppers can be eaten
as antipasto, pureed into a
sauce, or used almost anywhere fresh peppers are called for. If roasting
peppers indoors, make sure
your kitchen is well ventilated.
Don't hold metal tongs in the heat for very long. They can heat up and possibly burn you.