WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Grill roasting is a great, simple way to add deep, smoky flavor to sweet red bell peppers, making forxan unexpectedly luscious side dish for all manner of grilled meats, poultry, or seafood. To infuse the peppers with even more flavor and ensure that they were perfectly tender, we started by steaming them in a disposable pan with a mixture of olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. We then transferred the softened peppers to the grate to char and blacken. After the peppers were done grilling, we used the remaining oil mixture from the pan—now boosted with pepper juices and a hit of sherry vinegar—as a tangy vinaigrette for the tender peeled peppers. Take care not to overroast the peppers when the skin of the pepper puffs up and turns black, it has reached the point at which the flavor is maximized and the texture of the flesh is soft but not mushy
SERVES: 4
TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum pan
- 6 red bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Prepare the oil mixture: Combine oil, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in disposable pan.
2a. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
- Open bottom vent completely.
- Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts).
- When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill.
- Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely.
- Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
2b. FOR A GAS GRILL:
- Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes.
- Turn all burners to medium-high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate.
- Prepare the peppers:
- Using paring knife, cut around stems of peppers and remove cores and seeds.
- Place peppers in pan and turn to coat with oil.
- Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- COOK THE PEPPERS:
- Place the pan on grill (hotter side if using charcoal) and cook, covered, until peppers are just tender and skins begin to blister, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating and shaking pan halfway through cooking.
- Remove pan from heat and carefully remove foil (reserve foil to use later).
- Using tongs, remove peppers from pan, allowing juices to drip back into pan, and place on grill (hotter side if using charcoal).
- Grill peppers, covered, turning every few minutes until skins are blackened, 10 to 15 minutes.
- PREPARE THE VINAIGRETTE
- Transfer juices and garlic in pan to medium bowl and whisk in vinegar.
- FINISH THE DISH
- Remove peppers from grill, return to now-empty pan, and cover tightly with foil.
- Let peppers steam for 5 minutes.
- Using spoon, scrape blackened skin off each pepper.
- Quarter peppers lengthwise, add to vinaigrette in bowl, and toss to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
VARIATION:
GRILL-ROASTED PEPPERS WITH ROSEMARY
- Add 1 rosemary sprig to oil mixture in step 1 (discard after grilling).
- Substitute red wine vinegar for sherry vinegar.
