To Peel or Not to Peel

The world seems to believe that red bell peppers should be peeled. This means roasting, about the only known way to peel them.

This may have begun with Escoffier, who never doubted that sweet peppers must be peeled. Before we accept this as authority, remember that he peeled olives and grapes too. Whatever the ingredient, if it had a skin, Escoffier peeled it.

Indeed, it is desirable to peel when the pepper is subjected to further cooking. In Pollo Chilindron, for example, peppers are braised along with the chicken. Raw peppers would be cooked nicely, but bits of skin come off in the braising. Thus the peppers are roasted and peeled beforehand.

However, if no further cooking is involved, the peppers need not be peeled. In fact, in the pan braising and oven braising procedures below, a loose skin means the peppers have been overcooked.

ROASTED SWEET RED PEPPERS

Roasting of peppers wrinkles and loosens the skin so that it may be peeled. The skin may or may not be blackened. If blackened, from whatever source, a caramelized taste results. This is desired by some, but not essential for the many incidental uses of roasted red peppers.

For convenience, do these when you are doing other things. The peppers can rest indefinitely between toaster oven cycles. Whether you take 10 minutes or an hour overall to roast a pepper, the result is the same.

I am not a hawk on removing the last bit of skin on each and every pepper. Whatever skin blisters tends to be the toughest skin, and is easily removed. Sometimes a little skin is left. This is likely to be tender skin, so I make no special effort to remove it.

You may maintain a constant supply of roasted peppers, as they will keep in the refrigerator at least 3 days. Peel them just before using.

Green or yellow bell peppers may be roasted in this same way.

Split the pepper lengthwise and take out stem, seeds, and pods. To avoid a cleaning operation afterwards, place aluminum foil on the toaster oven pan. Place the red pepper halves, skin side up, on the foil.

Pick a setting on the toaster oven, say medium, and put through a cycle. When the oven turns off, let the pepper rest in the heat for any amount of time, but at least two minutes. This produces a more thorough cooking in each cycle.

Repeat cycles until the skin is wrinkled and may be peeled. The pepper should be sweet and tender.

On my machine, 1500 watts, I use a medium high setting for large peppers, medium for smaller. 4 or 5 cycles do the job. You will quickly learn what to use for your machine and the peppers you customarily use, attaining a blackened skin or avoiding it, as you choose.

Transfer to a plate, to catch juices. If the skin is thoroughly wrinkled, you do not need a paper bag or lid.

Peel when cool. Or, refrigerate and peel when used.

Once peeled do not rinse, as you would wash away delicious juices.

Cookbook authors are unanimous in applauding the special qualities of the roasted red pepper. But these only develop when the pepper is properly roasted. In her book Patricia Wells’ Trattoria, the author provided her criteria, which are quite attainable with the toaster oven.

Patricia Wells does not believe that the aim is to char the vegetable as black as possible, but to produce the most succulent and flavorful flesh. She wishes to capture the "fragrant and flavorful essence" of the pepper.

She notes that:

Too high a heat chars the skin before the flesh is cooked.
Too low a heat dries out the flesh before the skin loosens.

When a red pepper is properly roasted, the skin will wrinkle and begin to pull away from the flesh. If the skin chars long before it begins to pull away, the heat is too intense.

About That Paper Bag

Many recipes describe a ritual with a paper bag. The warm roasted peppers are placed in the bag, to steam and further looscn the skins. This is fun, but may not be necessary. Julia Child, in The Way to Cook, thought there was no need if a little care is taken in the roasting.