Oven Roasting Red Peppers

When perusing the Internet for recipes that are simple and easy, some of the ingredients that are cheap at your local market in the States are Europe cost about ten-fold in China, especially in Shanghai. I wanted more than to just cut thin strips of red peppers and throw it in the pan. There is a smokey flavor carried by red peppers from roasting and that should be going into my dish. Roasting also intensifies the flavors of the red peppers. Unfortunately, I am not willing to fork out all that renminbi to go to an expensive expat-oriented supermarket to buy (fire)roasted red peppers preserved in oil with some garlic or herbs. The Food Network showed one of its chefs or cooks doing it at home, bringing you to the mantra of "If [Yan] can cook, so can you!" Hear, hear.

My kitchen in China is ill-equipped. There are no tongs; only chopsticks. Trying to fire the exterior of red peppers over a gas-flame using wooden chopsticks seemed risky to me. There is also no built-in oven, but a glorified toaster oven of relatively large size. Produce is often tricky because a lot of it has been bred and engineered to look good, not taste good (e.g. tomatoes). I ended up at the Avocado Lady and bought a couple unblemished red peppers. Now to hope for the best.

The red peppers went on a piece of aluminum foil on a small pan and was placed in a pre-heated oven (mine ranged between 400-450°F). About every 15 minutes, after the skins formed dark splotches, the red peppers were turned using chopsticks. After every side of the red peppers were a bit black, I took them out of the oven, put them in a bowl, and covered the bowl to steam the red peppers. This allows the skins to separate from the flesh so it is easy to remove. The red peppers generally held its original shape coming out, but quickly deflated. When the red peppers are cool enough to handle, the skins slip right off with a bit of rubbing. And you never want to rinse the red peppers after they come out of the oven because you will just wash away the smokey quality. These peppers looked, smelled, and tasted just as good as the imported ones. They can be preserved in extra-virgin olive oil with some herbs and garlic, if desired. Save yourself the cash and do it yourself.

Red peppers straight from the oven, red peppers steaming in a bowl
Oven Roasted Red Peppers
Red Peppers

Pre-heat oven to 450°F / 230°C. Arrange red peppers on a cookie sheet lined with foil and roast in the oven, turning about every 15 minutes or when dark splotches form. Do this until the red peppers are roasted all the way through, about 30-40 minutes. When the peppers are done, remove them from the oven and place in a covered bowl to steam to make the skins easier to peel off. Once peppers are cooled, remove the skins and discard with your hands or a paring knife. Pull the top of the red pepper off and remove the seeds. Remember to never rinse or wash the peppers at this point.