How (And Why) To Roast Peppers

I found a deal on bell peppers!  The green ones were 25¢ each, the yellow and orange ones were 33¢ each, and the red ones were 50¢ each.  I am a sucker for a good deal so I bought 40 peppers in a range of colors.  The next challenge was what to do with all of them (I buy the good deals first and figure out what to do with it later--I've come up with some of the best ideas that way such as my recipe for homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup).  One possibility was to eat LOTS of Fajitas in the next few days, but I'm home alone this week (my wife and daughter are off in Michigan for spring break getting our beautiful old farmhouse ready to sell--I couldn't go with them because this weekend is the LDS Church's General Conference which is one of the most important performances of the year for those of us who sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) so there wasn't much hope of getting rid of many that way.


I gave some away to nearby relatives, and I did make some wonderful salsa, part of which I preserved using lacto-fermentation (stay tuned for more on that topic), and I diced up and flash-froze some to keep in my freezer, but that still left nearly 20 ripe and ready peppers that I needed to do something with.  The choice was actually quite simple because I love ROASTED PEPPERS!  A few years ago I ate at a Mexican restaurant in Atlanta while I was there on business.  It was the kind of restaurant where they have a taco bar where you build your own from a plethora of fresh ingredients.  One of the ingredient choices at the taco bar were some red roasted peppers in long strips.  I tried some on my mega taco (I honestly don't know how that tortilla held together because there were so many yummy choices that I ended up with a titanic taco that I could barely get into my mouth) and I realized immediately that what made the flavor pop for this memorable meal was the delicious smoky flavor that complemented the naturally sweet tang of the red pepper.  I was hooked!  Over the years I have made roasted peppers countless times with varying degrees of success.  Roasting peppers concentrates and mellows their flavor, tempers their fire (if they're hot peppers), and adds a smokiness that creates a remarkable bouquet of flavors.  However I've botched a few batches before learning some tricks to consistently get perfect roasted peppers.  Read on...

Peppers are natives of the warm climates of meso-American and are more properly called "chilis"after the Nahuatl word "chilli" or "xilli".  After the conquest of Mexico by the Europeans pepper seeds were sent to Spain and from there peppers spread throughout Europe, into Asia, and then to the rest of the world.  Christopher Columbus reportedly named them "peppers" after he encountered them in the Caribbean because their strong hot-flavored spicy taste reminded him of black peppercorns (which at the time were so costly that they were used as legal currency in some countries), and so the name stuck.  

The ancient meso-Americans learned to roast peppers early on.  They found that they could simultaneously remove the slightly-bitter skin, soften the flesh, and enhance the flavor of these pungent fruits (yes botanically they are fruits) by throwing them onto hot coals until they were blackened, cooling them, and then scraping off the skin.  Roasting peppers  is a bit labor-intensive, but the flavor is so amazing that it's worth it.  The roasted peppers can be preserved as well so it's best to roast them in fairly large batches so you can get all the work out of the way once and then enjoy the fruits of your labors for a long time to come.

Here is how to roast peppers:

What you need - 

• Peppers - large, thick-walled ones are easiest to work with
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Latex Gloves - if the peppers are hot
• Open Flame or Hot Coals - preferably outdoors
• Water - to help rinse off the burned skin

Cut the peppers in half and strip out the stem, seeds, and membranes.  Then (this was something I just discovered during this most recent roasting saga) lay them skin-side down, press on them with one hand while making three small slices on each end (see pictures on left above).  The goal is to flatten the curved pepper halves as much as possible so the skin is exposed to the flame uniformly.  If you don't do this you have to keep turning the peppers to burn all the skin and in the process you tend to over-cook much of the flesh.  

Lay these peppers skin-side down on your grill (over medium flame) or on some hot coals until the skin is black (about 5 minutes on my grill).  Remove from the heat and drop the burned-skin pepper halves into a pot and cover with a lid.  Let them rest and cool until the skins are very loose and easy to peel off with your fingers.  Drop the peppers into a sink-full of water and start peeling them (this is the tedious part).  Rinse off the flesh of each and place it in a bowl or a pan with sides to catch the juice that will begin to run.  When you have all the peppers peeled they are ready for use or for storage.

You can slice them into long thin strips or dice thee.  They taste wonderful in tacos, salads, eggs etc.  You can store them by slipping them into freezer bags and putting them in your freezer.

Why should you go to the trouble of roasting your own peppers?  Because these are so delicious!  They are yummy on their own, but they can also enhance the flavor of nearly any savory dish.  Watch for an abundance of peppers (a good price at the store or the bounty of your own garden) and roast up some succulent, beautiful ambrosia of your own!