How to Fire Roast Peppers

When I was growing up, a sure sign that fall had arrived was the appearance of roasted green chiles at the farmers market. Farmers would slow-roast the chiles over a fire until the skins blackened and blistered and sell them to you packed in paper bags. Roasted chiles and sweet peppers have a deep, smoky flavor, and it's easy to make them at home. All you need is a gas or charcoal grill and a bunch of peppers! Here is how.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Long-handled tongs
• Paper bags

1. Choose peppers that have crisp, slightly tender flesh that is either bright green or fully colored. Wash and dry the peppers and then rub a thin layer of olive oil over each fruit.

2. To roast, place whole peppers over a medium flame on a gas grill. If using a charcoal grill, place the peppers in the middle of the grill over briquettes that are medium hot (you should be able to hold your hand a couple inches above the grill for about 5 seconds and the briquettes should be completely covered in ash).

3. When the peppers begin to blacken and blister, use tongs to flip them over. Remove the peppers from the grill when the skins on the second side of the pepper are blackened and blistered in spots and the flesh is soft (but not mushy). Keep in mind that chile peppers and smaller sweet peppers cook faster than large bell peppers.

4. Immediately after removing the peppers from the grill, place them into a paper bag. Roll the top of the bag down to seal it. Allow the peppers to sit for 30 minutes or until they have cooled down enough to handle.

5. If working with hot peppers, protect your hands by covering them with thin latex gloves (available at drug stores) before you prepare them. Hold a pepper upside down over a small bowl and pull out the stem of the pepper. Remove the seeds and pulp by squeezing the pepper from the top down. Then, place the pepper on a cutting board and slip off its skin. Slice the peppers open and remove the ribs by scraping them off with a paring knife. Pick off any remaining seeds.

6. At this point you can place the peppers into a container and refrigerate them for up to one week. Or, to freeze the peppers for later use, pack them into ½-quart or 1-quart freezer bags, leaving ½ inch of headroom at the top of the bag. Seal the bag, being sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible. Immediately place the bagged peppers into the freezer.

Resources

• DigginFood