Marinated Roasted Red Peppers

The first time Chef Christian Delouvrier came to our home for a meal, he complimented me on my marinated roasted red peppers. I proudly gave all of the credit to my mother-in-law, Loulou, who taught me the following easy recipe.

Ingredients

Red bell peppers

Salt and black pepper

Olive oil (one for the marinade and first-cold-press extra-virgin for the sauce)

Garlic

Red wine vinegar

Directions

Choose plump, deep-red colored, unblemished fresh bell peppers. You may also add a few orange and/or yellow bell peppers for color. Wash the peppers with cold water and make sure all labels are scraped off. Wrap aluminum foil around the grill that goes in your oven (to avoid a cleanup mess).

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place the washed and dried peppers in the oven and allow to slow roast for 45–60 minutes, depending on the sizes of the peppers. When they are ready, the skin will puff up and disengage from the meat of the fruit. Place them in a paper bag or a bowl covered with a plate or plastic wrap. The steam from the peppers will condense and help facilitate peeling. Do not peek or let the steam out. When the peppers are cooled, make a slit down the length of the pepper, cutting through only the top skin, and peel the skin away. (This should be very easy.) Cut off the stem and dispose of it. On a cutting board, open up the rest of the pepper like a book lying flat. Scrape all of the seeds away from the inside of the pepper. Salt and pepper each side. Slice the peppers into large strips (2–3 inches wide) and marinate in a good olive oil with slivers of garlic (optional) for at least four hours, or up to five days. 

An hour before serving, remove from the marinade and place into a serving dish. Mix some fresh extra-virgin, first-cold-press olive oil with two crushed garlic cloves (optional), salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of fine red wine vinegar. Pour over the peppers. Serve with really good bread as an appetizer, or use the strips of peppers to garnish avocados or fresh mozzarella.

Gerard suggests a nice French rose wine with this dish.