Incredible Oven-Roasted Red Bell Pepper Paste

Is there anything better in the world than the sight and taste of the roasted sweet red bell peppers? I don’t think so. Unless you double or better yet triple the goodness and turn the roasted red bell peppers into a paste. This paste is a staple Turkish cooking condiment, and I am often asked at my cooking classes whether it is possible to substitute: unlike the tomato paste it is no readily available unless you have a Turkish store close to where you leave. Here is the best news of the season: you don’t need to substitute or (even more sadly) omit the red bell pepper paste because you can make your own! The summer is blooming, the peppers are cheap, and it’s just a matter of choosing a quiet day when you are at home and can give a bit of attention the peppers - only a bit because making the pepper paste is mostly hands-off.

Now, the pepper paste (just like its tomato cousin) is often prepared on the stovetop, which I find unnecessarily high-maintenance. You slice the peppers, remove the seeds, cook till soft in a bit of water, then puree and then - back to the pot - simmer into a very thick paste. By the end of the long day spent by the stove you are simmering too. Plus, the pepper paste is pretty much all over the kitchen as it has been spitting out of the pan with all its red vigor.

Stovetop method might be great for the communal red bell pepper paste making that traditionally takes place in the Turkish countryside throughout the fall. A few neighbors get together at someone’s backyard or even right outside on the street and make enough paste for all off them: one is peeling, another is stirring, the other is pushing the peppers through the mincing machine as they work in batches.

Roasting is a better resort for a busy (and lets face it - no so social) urban cook. You just pop the peppers in the oven, once they are soft you peel them (the peel comes out almost on its own), pull out the stem with most of the seeds and place them in the food processor to puree. Then you return the puree to the smaller tray and cooler oven and let the crimson soup-like puree reduce to the brick-colored paste. You run your home errands as the flavor of the sweet red pepper is getting more and more intense in the way only roasting makes possible.

In this batch I decided to keep the flavor simple and not add anything but salt and good olive oil (the latter is mainly to prevent sticking to the tray when reducing). I prefer the classic pure flavor and flexibility of using the paste. But you surely can experiment: roasted onion or garlic, a bit of roasted tomato or any spices you frequently use are a few ideas you can start with. I made the paste sweet, yet by tossing some hot red chillies in the mix you can add a delicate (or bold, if you prefer) kick to the paste.

What do you with the outcome? Well, you cook more Turkish food: the paste benefits stews, soups and many starters with a deeper flavor. The paste is also superb as a bread spread, maybe paired with a bit of homemade labne. You can also upgrade your paste into such a sophisticated seasoning as harissa in a whim. Turn it into a pasta sauce. Use it for your savory baking. Whatever you do you extend the season of the red bell peppers for as long as your paste lasts. And that is such a beautiful thing to do.

Incredible Oven-Roasted Red Bell Pepper Paste

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3h 40 min
Total Time: 4 h

Yield: about 1 cup thick paste

Ingredients

2 kg sweet red bell peppers, thoroughly washed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, and a bit more for oiling the tray
1 tsp coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Roast the peppers: Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the washed whole peppers on a large tray and roast for about 40 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove the peppers from the oven and let cool until you can handle them without burning your hands. Reduce the heat in the oven to 160C.
2. Peel the peppers: Remove the skin and pull off the stems of all the peppers. Next, rip off each pepper open with your thumbs and remove the seeds with a metal spoon or your hands (just rinse either now and then to remove the sticky seeds). Place the peeled peppers in a colander over a large bowl to drain most of the liquid. Reserve the skins and pepper water, if using (see the note below).
3. Make the paste: Puree the drained peeled peppers in the food processor into a very smooth paste (work in batches, if needed). Mix in the salt and olive oil into the paste. Lightly oil the non-stick tray and spread the pepper paste. Place the tray in the oven for about 3 hours: once an hour give it a good stir and scrape down the sides to ensure the paste cooks evenly and does not burn. Once cooked and still hot the paste is ready to be canned.
4. Can the paste: If making just small quantity, transfer the paste in a glass or plastic jar with a fitting lead, pour over a bit of olive oil to cover the paste, close tight and keep in the fridge for 2-3 months. If your batch is larger and you intend to use the paste throughout the year, sterilize jars in the oven for about 40 min. Then pack the paste in the hot jars really well, so there are no little pockets of air in the paste. Seal with the leads, turn upside down and let sit until cool. Then invert the jars and place in the storage.

Note: Besides the greatness of the paste itself you will have two wonderful by-products: the pepper skins and the pepper water on the tray and on the bowl under the colander. If your peppers are organic you may want to turn their skins into the flavorful seasoning that costs nothing. The pepper water is lovely as a beverage, cocktail ingredient, addition to a vegetable stock or a good tomato soup base (tomato and red peppers go so well together); you can freeze it if not planning to use immediately.