Sweet peppers are abundant in late summer. Even though they grow rather reluctantly in the UK (unlike, surprisingly perhaps, various chilli peppers), the imported ones are now good value, so this is the time to use them generously in cooking.
Sweet peppers are usually of the bell variety and come in various colours: green, yellow and orange and vibrant red. The last are the sweetest (or maybe we just think so?) so in Britain we usually call the sweet variety simply ‘red peppers’ even if they are in fact yellow, and though some red peppers may be fiercely hot.
Another lovely variety is romano, the longish, thinner peppers, excellent grilled and marinated.
Both varieties and all colours make all kinds of wonderful dishes, and here are ten delicious recipes using peppers.
Piperade, the Basque version of Italian peperonata, is a vegetable stew of soft peppers and onions with a hint of paprika. The heat is provided by espelette chilli pepper so it’s a double pepper dish to start the collection. This recipe is easy and simple, like a lot of best things in life and piperade on toast is one of them for sure.
Pasta with red peppers, with silky red and yellow pepper strands cooked down to sweet and umami sauce is also known as pasta peperonata. You should use chunky pasta shapes here, like fusilli or penne. Who needs tomatoes?
Muhammara is unquestionably the best dip I have ever tasted, decisively beating boring old hummus. It’s a coarsely ground mix of roasted peppers, walnuts, and gorgeous Syrian Aleppo pepper flakes, flavoured with pomegranate molasses. This should be a firm fixture in your next meze!
You don’t usually think of red peppers as a side dish, but you should. Here’s a good example: pan-fried partridge breast served with grilled peppers. Quartered peppers with aubergine and mushrooms for company are roasted in the oven while partridge breast fillets get pan fried.
Partridge breast with grilled peppers
RECIPE
Red pepper boats with the cargo of crispy spiced chickpeas cooked on the hob is a dish full of protein and fibre goodness, and marvellously satisfying. Crispy popping chickpeas are spiced with chilli flakes and fennel seeds, with butter or olive oil in the vegan version.
Crispy spiced chickpeas with peppers
RECIPE
Roasted Romano red peppers, cored and peeled, are charred under the grill to skin and core them easily. Next they are marinated in a herby, garlicky dressing inspired by an Ottolenghi recipe. So much better than shop-bought jars! They will disappear in a flash from your meze party.
Charred, peeled peppers again, this time made into a delicious salad with soft cheese. The peppers are tossed with a mildly spiced and sweet dressing and served with soft, goats, Pecorino or feta cheese.
Roasted red pepper salad
RECIPE
Stuffed roasted peppers are a popular dish throughout the Mediterranean, from the French légumes farcis to the Greek gemista. This is a simple recipe using up leftover cooked meat with some rice to bulk it out. Stuffed peppers bake for 40 – 50 minutes and they can also be made as a vegetarian dish very easily.
These are not red and not bell peppers but must be included in the collection because they make such a gorgeous snack or tapas dish: padron peppers. Spanish pimientos de padron are blistered in a frying pan and served with olive oil and flaky salt. They can and should be eaten whole.
And the last recipe in the collection is for green jalapeño chilli peppers, stuffed with a cream cheese and Cheddar filling and baked in the oven. What a delicious snack or appetiser! Also much healthier than the common American snack of deep fried jalapeño poppers.
Stuffed jalapeno peppers
RECIPE