How to Roast Peppers
Roasting peppers is about turning the skin into a blistered, charred husk so the flesh underneath softens and sweetens. You cook them until they are uniformly blackened, then seal them in a container to steam, which allows the skin to slip off under running water with almost no resistance.
High heat is the only way.
Your oven broiler or a direct gas flame are the only tools capable of searing the skin without turning the interior into mush.
- Baking sheet
- Tongs
- Large glass bowl with plastic wrap or a container with a tight lid
What goes in.
- 4 largeBell peppers or poblano peppers
- 1 tbspNeutral oil
Seal to shed
Trapping the residual heat and steam inside a container for 15 minutes is what separates the charred skin from the pepper meat. If you skip this, you will be picking at stubborn fragments for an hour.
The method.
Prepare the peppers
Rub the exterior of the peppers lightly with oil. Place them directly on a baking sheet.
Char the skin
Place the tray on the highest rack, directly under your broiler. Watch them closely. When one side is black and blistered, rotate the pepper with tongs. Repeat until the entire surface is blackened.
Steam
Immediately transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap or a lid. Let them sit for 15 minutes.
Peel
Take the peppers out one by one. Use your thumbs to scrape the charred skin away under a thin stream of cool water. The skin should peel off in large sheets.
Finish
Remove the stem and seeds once the skin is gone. Pat the peppers dry before slicing.
Other turns to take.
Open Flame
If you have a gas stove, place the peppers directly on the grate over a medium-high flame, rotating with tongs until charred. This adds a stronger smoky profile.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Do not let the peppers burn until they disappear; you want the skin to char, but the flesh should remain firm.
If you are using small hot peppers, skip the oil; dry-blistering often works faster.
Do not soak the peppers in water to peel them, as this washes away the oils and flavour; just use the water to help the skin slide off.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use roasted peppers later?
Yes. Once peeled, keep them in a jar submerged in oil in the refrigerator for up to one week.
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