Roasted Pepper

This little technique is one I use all the time. Roasted pepper flesh is great for salads, soups, bruschetta, omelettes, etc.

Roasted Pepper

1 bell pepper (any color)

For gas stoves, just turn the burner on medium and burn the outside until black. You can do this by holding it over the flame (stick a fork in it) or just rest the pepper on whatever rack your stove has to hold a pan. You want the skin of the pepper to get completely black all over, so rotate often. When it’s all black, rinse it under running cold water to remove the charred skin. (Some people like to let it rest in a paper bag for a while before rinsing. This cooks the pepper a little longer; I prefer the bit of bite that is left when you rinse immediately.) Stem, seed, and carefully cut away the whitish pith on the inside.

For electric stove owners, preheat your broiler until very hot, halve the pepper lengthwise, and place on a cookie sheet (use foil) directly under the heating element. This will approximate the effect of the flame.

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