Smoky Charred Peppers

Many cuisines use roasted, charred, or grilled peppers as a great flavor booster for dishes. In middle Eastern cuisine, it is usually the red bell pepper that gets this treatment, though other peppers make their way in as well.

The best thing about these peppers is the smoky flavor that awakens up the palate and instantly evokes memories of lively family dinners and simple pleasures. To get the smoky flavor, I think that fire is essential. People do roast peppers in the oven and they are tasty, but what you miss is that charred, campfire flavor that takes this dish to the next level.

I usually prefer to char my peppers on my outdoor grill. However, when I made these, it was pouring rain and very cold outside, so I went to the next best thing: my range top.

I have an electric flat top range, which makes this much easier to clean up than a gas range, but either work if you're not afraid of mess. It's worth it.

Wash the peppers and dry them well. Place them directly on the range, set to a high temperature. You will need to stand over the peppers and watch them throughout the process because they will catch fire. As the peppers begin to cook and char and you see black spots and sparks start to appear, slowly keep turning them with metal tongs, careful not to have any pepper juice squirt out at you. The process will take a while because you really want the peppers to become completely black on the outside, lose the moisture and wilt into a flimsy version of their former crisp selves.

Once the peppers are completely blackened, make sure you to brush any remaining sparks off of them and put them, still hot into a paper or plastic bag and keep shut. This process is known as "sweating' and aids in the separation of the pepper skin from the flesh.  Once the peppers have "sweated" in the bag for about 20 minutes, put each pepper in running water and easily pull off the blackened skin.

The inside of the peppers should be slimy and soft. At this point, you can use them as a base for soup or sauces.  I prefer to marinate them a bit and serve in strips with a nice antipasti or pickle platter.

To do this, I cut the pepper flesh in thick strips (discard all seeds and membranes) and toss with a little white vinegar and crushed garlic. I place everything  in a low, flat tupperware dish and let it sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The result is a pungent, smoky snack that can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!