So there is a title to this blog, which is "Gastronomy 101." I chose to title it that because thatis what it is for me. I have never been a person who cooks. I have always been a person who eats. Although I have gradually turned from a cheese pizza and hamburger-mayonnaise-only kid to a far more international palate. And as I've expanded my list of favorite foods I've expanded my interest in knowing how to make said foods.And so in addition to eating delicious things, and learning about the different plants and animals that become my food, and experimenting with interesting looking recipes, I am also trying to teach myself some basic, simple cooking techniques so that I can spice up daily meals.
One such is the fire-roasted red pepper. This process transforms a regular red pepper into a soft, meaty treat. And it's oh-so easy. This method from Gourmet magazine is the easiest and best I have seen.
If for some reason the broiler doesn't work for you, you can also skewer the pepper whole and roast it over your gas burner like a campfire.
METHOD:Preheat broiler.
Halve bell peppers lengthwise, then discard stems and seeds. Put peppers, cut sides down, in 1 layer in an oiled shallow baking pan. Broil 2 inches from heat until charred and softened, 15 to 18 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl. Cover and let steam 15 minutes. Peel.
UPDATED METHOD:
I recently found a new method, which I actually prefer based on my fragile smoke alarm's tendency to go off at the slightest wisp of smoke. I roast the peppers in a glass bowl with no oil, which seems to get us all through safely and quietly. In particular I:
Put your bell pepper whole into a glass roasting/baking pan and stick it 6-7 inches below the broiler. I basically have to take everything out and set it on the floor to do this. Broil about 5 minutes, or however long it takes until the skin is blackened. Turn over with tongs to the next uncooked side and broil again until blackened. Repeat until pepper is charred on all sides. Transfer to a large bowl, cover the bowl with a plate (environmental! no using plastic wrap) and let the peppers steam for at least 15-20 min. or until cool.
Working over the bowl, peel off the skin, pull out the stem+seeds and then cut down one side so that your pepper is now a wide flat strip. Cut into smaller strips, stripping away any remaining seeds and trimming off the white veins/membrane.
And what to do with your yummy peppers? Make my favorite food of course: a sandwich. The above is my fresh roasted peppers with watercress and herbed cheese on a La Brea Bakery baguette. It rocked.
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