Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Peppers for Cold Meats

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, The Wednesday Chef. She, in turn, found this recipe (by Auguste Escoffier) in the L.A. Times. When I saw it on her blog, I thought it looked simple enough to make. So, when I was told we would be having roast chicken on Sunday, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try this recipe.

What you will need:

4 tbsps. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 lb. sweet red peppers, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. mixed spices (nutmeg, allspice)
1 lb. ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped, or 3/4 of a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of raisins
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup red wine vinegar.

How to put it all together:

Start by heating the oil in a big pot, and then add the onions. Fry the onions over low heat until softened. Then add the peppers, ginger and mixed spices. Cook for ten minutes. After ten minutes, add the tomatoes, garlic, raisins, sugar and vinegar. Cook over very low heat, covered, for an hour and fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. After an hour and fifteen minutes, uncover the pot and cook for an additional five to ten minutes. Store in the refrigerator overnight for enhanced flavor.




I ended up modifying this recipe a little by using golden raisins instead of regular, and using 1/2 a tsp. of nutmeg alone, since I did not have any allspice. I also used the entire diced can of tomatoes with the liquid, and did not find the peppers to be watery as a result. I also left the pot to cook uncovered for an additional seven minutes.

This recipe makes a lot of peppers, so if it is just one or two of you, then I would suggest halving the recipe. Also, while this recipe is delicious with meats, a little goes a long way. Think of the peppers as a condiment that you would use like mayo or mustard. I never got a chance to try the peppers out with cold meat - I ended up leaving the left overs with my family - but we did eat it with the hot roast chicken, and it was a hit. Since I don't particularly like eating hot meat with cold condiments, I took the peppers out of the fridge before serving so they could warm up to room temperature.

The result:

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