How to Roast Pepper Skins
Sweet bell peppers are a delicious and healthy addition to salsas and salads, but roasting the peppers trades their fresh, crispy crunch for a softer texture and a more exotic and smoky flavor that can really liven up all manner of dishes. Roasting peppers is a simple process and can be accomplished in minutes.
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Instructions
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Wash the peppers under running water and towel dry. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise with a paring knife and remove the stem, core and seeds from the insides of the peppers. Flatten them down with the palm of your hand, lightly coat them on both sides with a little canola oil and lay them cut-side down on a broiling pan.
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Move your oven rack to its highest position in your oven so that your peppers will be close to the flame or coil (around 6 inches or so is fine) and then turn the oven's broiler on to the high setting. Place the broiling pan and peppers onto the rack and let them broil for about 10 minutes, or until they appear to be evenly blackened.
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Remove the broiling pan from the oven when the peppers are nicely charred, and using serving tongs, carefully pick up the peppers and slip them into a plastic zip-lock bag. If you're roasting several peppers you may need to use several bags. Either way, seal the peppers in the bag and leave them for about 15 minutes.
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Open up the plastic bag and remove the peppers. The peppers will have continued to cook in their own steam while in the bag, which will make peeling them very easy. Use your fingers to peel off the charred skin; it should come off in long strips.
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Discard the charred skins and savor the smoky flavor of the roasted peppers. You can now dice them for use in salsas, sauces, condiments or in any of the many recipes that call for roasted peppers (see Resources).
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Tips & Warnings
If you have a gas stove, you can also try roasting them directly over an open flame on the stovetop.
Don't be overly concerned that the skins look very charred. The outer skin may look burned but the flesh beneath will be succulent and keep its usual color.
Of the sweet bell peppers, red and orange seem to offer the tastiest results but spicier peppers like the poblano, serrano or jalapeno also respond very well to roasting.
Make sure that your kitchen is well ventilated, especially if you're charring peppers directly over an open flame.
Don't wash the freshly roasted peppers; this will wash away some of the flavor.
