How to char and roast bell peppers, roast Garlic
Once roasted or charred the pepper can be kept in the fridge for a week. They’re very versatile, I use them in sandwiches, casseroles, rice dishes, tomato sauce, pizza base.
Charring peppers
The best charred peppers are ones cooked over charcoals but you can burn them over a gas flame, it will give a lightly smoky flavoured pepper. Keep turning over the pepper until most of its skin is blackened.
Once the pepper is charred the blackened skin can be removed straight away under a running tap, but I find the skin comes away easier if first place in a bowl, covered with two layers of clingfilm forming a tight seal and let them steam until cold, a good 30mins.
If the pepper is quite thick which the red ones tend to be the charring doesn’t quite cook the pepper. The inside of the pepper may still be quite raw, to completely soften and cook them through place them in a medium hot oven until it’s done, anything between 10-20 mins.
Roasted Peppers
Cut and deseed the peppers, cut them into either half or quarters.
Put them into a baking dish or a roasting tin.
Roast the peppers in a pre-heated moderate-hot oven, 180˚C fan, between 20-30 mins.
Until they are tinged black around the edges and a bit on the skin.
Put them straight into a bowl while they’re hot.
Cover tightly with clingfilm to trap steam which will help peel off the skin.
After 30 minutes or until they are completely cold, skin them.
They should peel easily.
Roasting Garlic
To roast a whole bulb of garlic leave it intact and it will take 20-25 mins to roast in a moderate-hot oven 180˚C fan.
To roast few cloves of garlic remove them from the bulb but leave the skins intact.
Place them among the peppers.
They will take less time than the peppers about 15 mins, remove them early.
They’re done when the whole clove is puree-like.
If any of the garlic has tinged black on it then remove it as it will taste acrid and unpleasant.
They keep well covered in a container in a fridge for a week.