Roasting Peppers

Roasting Red Bell Peppers (or any other peppers)

Roasted red bell peppers enhance everything! Side dishes, eggs, salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, antipasto platters. The list goes on and on! Make them fresh each time, or keep a ready store of them canned or frozen. 

To roast, start by washing the peppers and removing the stickers. Char them on high heat on a gas range stove by placing them directly onto the grates, use the Barbeque, or roast them in the oven. We marinade ours adhead of time in a plastic baggy. Use tongs to turn the pepper to blacken on all sides (or char to your taste). If roasting in the oven, preheat to 450F. Arrange the peppers on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven, turning every 15 minutes until done (about 30 minutes). 

However the peppers have been blackened, once they are done place in a covered bowl or brown paper bag. The steam from the peppers makes the skin easier to peel off.

 
Once the peppers have cooled, carefully peel off the blackened skin and discard. This can be done with fingers or a sharp knife. Pull or cut off the top of the pepper and squeeze gently to remove the seeds. 

Rinsing the peppers will diminish the smoky flavor. When the skins and seeds have been removed, cover the peppers in oil, adding garlic slices or herbs if desired, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Or Coarsely chop  peppers into chunks, or slice the peppers depending on how you would like the finished meal to look, and set aside.