22 Aug Two ways to char a pepper, and why charred peppers are the best thing to add to any dish

TWO WAYS TO CHAR A PEPPER, AND WHY CHARRED PEPPERS ARE THE BEST THING TO ADD TO ANY DISH

Photo: Copyright Real Meal Revolution. From Low Carb Cooking, Little Brown, 2018

Why char a pepper?

By charring peppers, you sweeten the flavour of the meat, add a complex smokey aroma and flavour, soften the texture and, provided it is done correctly, separate the skin making them smoother and generally more delicious to eat.

I call for charred peppers in a lot of my recipes, for the reasons mentioned above, so I thought I’d add a lesson on how to do it in my book Real Meal Revolution: Low Carb Cooking.

(Ps. You can do this with other nightshades like tomatoes, aubergines and chillies)

And this is how it’s done…

Method 1

Place them directly over a flame (on a small grid if you like) and turn them until they are black all over.
Once they are blackened, place them in an airtight container (or a tightly covered container) until they cool to room temperature.
At this point, use your fingers or a knife to scrape the charred skin from the veg.
Then continue as per the recipe.

Method 2

Rub them with oil and place them on a tray under the grill at its highest temperature and turn them every five minutes to make sure they are charred all over.
Once they are blackened, place them in an airtight container (or a tightly covered container) until they cool to room temperature.
At this point, use your fingers or a knife to scrape the charred skin from the veg.
Then continue as per the recipe.

Photo: Copyright Real Meal Revolution. From Low Carb Cooking, Little Brown, 2018

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