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What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of roasted peppers? Mildly spicy poblano chile peppers over an open flame? Sweet orange bell peppers brushed with olive oil and heated under a broiler? How about all of the above?

When it comes down to it, there are numerous ways to roast a pepper, and numerous types of peppers to chose from. In this article, you'll learn how to roast a perfect pepper for your salads, side dishes, and appetizers.

Pepper Types
You can roast all types of peppers ranging from the sweet bell types to Italian banana peppers to mild poblanos made famous in Mexican restaurants for those tasty chile rellenos. And if you're in an especially adventurous mood, you can roast jalapenos or fiery habeneros. Some people like to add roasted habeneros to guacamole for that smoky flavor the peppers impart in addition to the heat.

Roasting Techniques
Chefs debate over what can officially be considered a roasted pepper. While some cooks agree that roasting over an open flame is adequate, others say you must take the roasting process a step further and place the pepper under a broiler with olive oil. Still others opine you don't need a flame at all and you can simply roast the pepper under a broiler in a bit of olive oil. Nonetheless, here are a few ways you can roast a pepper:

1) Over an Open Flame. Simply place pepper on a grill or over the burner of a gas stove. Using tongs, turn pepper over often for even cooking. You will see the skin darken and become charred. When the entire skin becomes blackened and pepper is tender, remove from flame.

2) Under a Broiler: Whole. Coat pepper with vegetable oil, place on baking sheet, and slide under a broiler. When skin on top of pepper begins to blacken, open broiler and turn pepper over using tongs. When once again the skin on top of the pepper is blackened and pepper is tender, remove from oven.

3) Under a Broiler: Sliced. Slice pepper into wedges and coat with vegetable oil. Roast skin side up until skin is blackened and pepper slices are tender. Remove from oven.

4) In a Frypan With Olive Oil. Slice pepper into wedges or thin strips, then cook in frypan with about one tablespoon of olive oil. Stir often. When peppers are tender, remove from pan.

Skinning the Pepper
After you're done roasting the pepper, the last step you'll want to take is to skin it. This step is optional; but if you want a really fancy presentation in a salad or antipasto, here's how to remove the skin from the pepper:

1) After the pepper is finished cooking, place hot pepper in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. You can also place pepper in a freezer bag or paper bag. The idea is to trap the steam coming from the pepper so that its skin will become pliable enough to easily remove it.

2) Allow the pepper to cool for about 20 minutes.

3) Pull the stem out of the pepper, then remove the skin.

Tasty Uses for Roasted Peppers
You can use roasted peppers in many delicious ways. Here are a few ideas:

* Add to salads and sandwiches
* Marinate in lemon juice, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a dash of balsamic vinegar
* Place in blender with ingredients to make a sauce
* Toss with pasta and olive oil (rotini, fusilli, and orzo make good choices)

Roasted peppers are healthy and simple to make, and you'll love all the recipes you can use them in.

Learn more about this author, Daniel J. Gansle.
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