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How to Make Roasted Red Peppers Roasted red peppers have a flavor quite unlike anything else on Earth. But if you've only eaten the variety that comes out of a jar or have had them roasted in an oven, you're missing out on the soul-shaking experience that is a Real Live Fire Roasted Red Pepper. If you like things fast and convenient, you'll have to look elsewhere -- there are plenty of quick recipes if you try a Google search. But if you want to amaze your guests with a truly transcendent culinary experience, here's what you do . . . First, get yourself a good red pepper, preferably organic, and even better if it's fresh from a garden. Secure it on the end of a stick (we use two here so that we have more control), and start a fire. That's right. A campfire. You're going to want to be roasting this over hardwood. Now, settle in. We often make this an excuse to sit around a fire with friends and talk. You'll want to devote about a half-hour to your roasting. The actual cooking process involves charring the outside of the pepper, but doing so in such a way that you allow steam to form inside the pepper's cavity, cooking the pepper's flesh. The most important part is patience.
Hold your pepper over the fire and slowly turn it. You don't have to get it black right away. Start to let the heat permeate the pepper. We'll rotate the pepper about once every thirty seconds over a light flame. Over time, get a little more aggressive, letting the flames flicker against the skin and really start to heat things up. The skin will begin to bubble and you'll see a clear juice emerge from any cracks. This is good. Every once in a while, without burning your finger, touch the pepper to gauge its firmness. The end product should be very soft and loose to the touch. If you rush this softening process, your pepper will only get soft where the flames touch, and will have uneven texture. As your pepper approaches the soft state, really get it into those flames. Be careful that your stick doesn't burn in half! You want to completely blacken the outside. When your pepper is ready, it will be charred black on the outside, soft to the touch all over, and will have a heavenly, smoky scent. Set your pepper aside to let it cool for a while.
This pepper was destined for a homemade pizza. If properly cooked, the skin will peel off easily, whole sections coming off with just the brush of a finger. The bright red flesh underneath the black is truly striking. Remove the skin (but don't be afraid of a little black remaining -- it adds great visual appeal as well as some flavor), slice it open (be ready for juices), and remove the seeds. Cut the pepper into slices, and remember that each slice packs a punch -- this is not a subtle flavor. It takes a bit of practice and lots of patience to create a really good fire-roasted pepper, but it's great fun and indescribably delicious. Enjoy!
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