i like to do these over an open flame on my gas stove. i think the stovetop method can leave the peppers a little crisper, which i enjoy. one need only let the skin blister before turning the pepper to the next side. i then sweat them in a brown paper bag until the skin has loosened.

i always do more than needed, storing them in a glass jar with olive oil and red wine vinegar. i like to be light-handed with the vinegar, brightening the flavor but avoiding a 'pickle' state.

Good for you, Clotilde! And wait until you try roasting the red and yellow peppers - they're even sweeter and more succulent than the green ones. Here's a quick recipe to try: once you've cut the roasted yellow and red peppers into strips to your liking and arranged them on a plate, sprinkle them with flaky salt, a few drops of good olive oil, a few slivers of cured dark olives, some tiny capers and a liberal sprinkling of finely chopped parsley. The flavors meld beautifully and explode in your mouth. I love it for summer - with a piece of bread it can even be dinner for one.

Hi Clotilde,
"les grands esprits se rencontrent", it's what I've done last saturday for the Paris Potluck but with yellow, orange and red peppers.
There are very good as a left over in a sandwich with goat cheese.
Have a good day.

Wow. You might not be the X-File of pepper-roasting, but you may be the X-File of blogging. I roasted my first peppers yesterday and then I came online today and saw this entry. Spoooooky.

Ok, we need to send you video tapes of Rick Bayless' PBS series 'One Plate at a Time'. He is so fun to listen to (reminds me very much of you actually,) and you would certainly have gotten over your roasting fears in a heartbeat. I really don't know why everyone doesn't do this, especially to green peppers where it really improves their taste. We do it all the time in winter, and I USED to put them right on the BBQ but not for a long time now. Delicious. Everyone thinks your a genius with home roasted peppers.

[You probably know who he is, but he has a bunch of mexican cookbooks and in the PBS series, he spent half the show explaining the original recipe inspiration while in various locations of mexico, and then bringing them back to his kitchen for his dish, sometimes identical, but usually with a twist or somewhat americanized. And he's so enthusiastic you just get drawn into watching...]

Oh and David's suggestion is COMPLETELY on the money by the way. You need to try it that way, its so easy for just a couple peppers and fast. Be sure and use the brown paper bag.

I was watching a American Test Kitchen program on stuffed peppers the other day. The surprise was that they were 100% against using green bell peppers, ever. The green peppers are immature and not a variety like the red, yellow or purple ones. They considered the green peppers as too bitter to contemplate. The comments above appear to support this view, the green bell peppers are inferior. Try roasting the red ones some time.

looks delicious..great work clotilde!

i've just recently gotten over my fear of leavening agents--and oh boy! making bread is soooo much fun! give it a try. i can email you the first recipe i tried if you like.

i enjoy your blog greatly, thanks!

Roast poblanos over a gas burner until the skin is black all over, stick them in a plastic bag, seal, and the skin just falls off with a little rubbing.

Slice the poblanos into thin strips, and add them to quesadillas to break up that slightly greasy cheese flavor with a mild spicy sweet smoke flavor.

If you have an audience, roasting a pepper over an open flame is great showmanship.

I too roasted peppers last night! (Scary!) But I plan to slice them thinly and place them on a homemade focaccia with sauteed red onions, sliced red tomatoes, and herbs. I suppose this recipe would take care of 2 of your irrational cooking fears...

I too have only an electric stove, so I put my peppers under the broiler until they're charred and blistery. I miss my gas stove.

or presentation as a single "serving". In either a heavy (freezer) zip-lok bag or a jar, cover the peppers with Japanese Seasoned "Gourmet" Vinegar and chill overnight in the fridge. They will remain bright green in color with a sweet crunchiness to them. Only a few drops of light (olive?) oil arereezer) zip-lok bag or a jar, cover the peppers with Japanese Seasoned "Gourmet" Vinegar and chill overnight in the fridge. They will remain bright green in color with a sweet crunchiness to them. Only a few drops of light (olive?) oil are5{@@@@ @ @@@ @ 05{5{company. This is a knife-and-fork affair - very pretty and unusually appealing.

I like to do the open flame method too. And it it works great on tomatoes as well.

Sher

Once again, Clotilde, you have inspired me: I have two peppers languishing in the fridge, and each time I open the door they greet me hopefully, but in vain. Thanks for pointing out their destiny.

May I encourage you to give yeast breadbaking a try? I find it one of the simplest but most fulfilling of tasks; a very little bit of effort and time produces such luscious results. I'm sure you have many more accomplished breadmakers in your audience to give advice, but I am always happy to kibbitz about recipes.

As always, thank you for the lovely entry.

Were those regular green bell peppers or some chile peppers?

I regularly roast red and yellow peppers. I have a gas stove with a grill inset so it's easy. Had an "asador" before then. I dislike green bells but might try one that way to see if I like it better.

Since it takes a while to roast and sweat the peppers (I too use paper bags), I tend to do in quantity, although it's a great way to deal with a pepper that I need to use but don't have other plans for.

I have not had as much success with chiles (I usually use anchos and anaheims) probably because I charred the skin too much and it seems more delicate (esp. since the peppers are smaller). I was making it for "rajas", the Mexican mix of roasted green chiles and onions (which I also cut in slices, skewer together, and do on the grill).

Two methods for charring the pepper skin to remove it that are commonly used.

1. Commercially: Most Tex-Mex restaurants drop the peppers into frying oil at high heat, which blisters the skin and allows for easy peeling. The oil is wiped off with a paper towel.
2. I bought a $15 blowtorch at the local Home Depot and I use this torch to char my peppers, and also my creme brulee.
3. In using the oven, and the broiler for charring peppers, some ovens need to be left slightly open, so that the broiling element at the top stays on and does not turn off when a high temperature is reached.

There do exist sweet green peppers (http://www.travel-images.com/uzbekistan22.jpg ) that are neither bell nor chilis. The ones in that photo, and this one over here (http://finsonfarm.com/daily/images/08252001green-pepper-2.jpg ), have pointy ends, thinner walls and a sweeter, more delicate flavor. The sweet Italian peppers they sell in the States are similar, but not the same thing. Anyway, you can roast or fry these, and they are *delicious*.

I do a food-booth at festivals, and sometimes end up with a lot of left-over green and red peppers. Has anyone ever tried to freeze their roasted peppers? I think the flavour would be divine in a chili, but I don't know if the texture would survive.

I use my little torch to roast peppers, it works beautifully and quickly. Then I put them in a covered bowl to loosen the skin. I pack my peppers in oil and vinegar, they are a staple of my kitchen. I also use roasted peppers to make chilie rellanos which are so delicious and easy.

hello! i have an electric stove, and i roast peppers on the burners all the time, it works perfectly!

I conquered peppers first, too, but it was the lovely late Laurie Colwin who got me over my bread fears. Bundle up in bed with a good cup of cocoa and read her bread essays in Home Cooking and More Home Cooking--you'll want to make bread the way you want to drive a new car or kiss a new lover. Eat a roasted pepper sandwich on your bread, then make her gingerbread recipe just because it's fall.

Has anyone heard of Italian Potato Chips. They are made from Italian green peppers, the long thin ones, and cut into quarter strips the length of the pepper. They are somehow cooked in olive oil, until they are nearly as crisp as potato chips, and they keep for quite a while. A friend had them in a restaurant, and we are wondering how they are made, roasted, or fried. Not sure if any other seasonings are used, none are obviously present. Thanks!

Instead of using foil to wrap the peppers, you can put them in a plastic bag and let them cool down before removing the skin,it's very efficient! Hey John (June 17th) Green bell peppers are sweet too and have a different character than the red or yellow one, they are not bitter or inferior.Try that:roast them,peel them,cut them in small pieces, add a bit of garlic, one tomatoe, a generous spoon of olive oil and cook them on a pan for 15 to 20 mn. Enjoy!