Chef Juliette
Stuffed Onions
Oignons farcis teach the discipline of the shell: mild onions hollowed without weakness, filled with their own flesh and Duxelle, braised in butter and stock, then glazed until the tops bronze.
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Capsicum or Pimentos (Poivrons doux)
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2197, Capsicum or Pimentos (Poivrons doux), from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Sweet peppers blackened until their skins lift cleanly, then peeled and cleared of every seed. The home broiler replaces the salamander, while the decisive blistering remains exactly where the canon put it.
Side Dishes
French
Dinner Party
Make Ahead
15 min
Active Time
15 min cook•40 min total
Yield4 servings
Poivrons doux (skinned sweet peppers) teach one clean lesson: the skin releases only when you blacken it completely while leaving the sweet flesh beneath tender and juicy. Stop at bronze and you'll scrape and tear; take the papery skin to black blisters and it slips away.
The classical entry assumed a fierce grill or salamander, a commis peeling enough peppers for service, and no fixed portion because the finished peppers were destined for other dishes. At home, the salamander becomes your broiler and the brigade quantity becomes four large peppers, enough for four people. That equipment and scale were scaffolding. Blackening, peeling without rinsing, and clearing every seed are the dish, and they stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
When they're right, the peeled peppers are supple and satin-glossed with their own sweet juices, ready to remain whole or fall into broad ribbons. Blacken every patch of skin before you cover them. That's the one step that matters.
Poivrons doux belong most naturally to Mediterranean France, especially Provence, where ripe peppers are grilled, skinned, and served as vegetables in their own right. Parisian classical kitchens carried the same treatment into the grammar of garnishes; large red Spanish peppers were prized for thick, sweet flesh, but every mild green, yellow, or red pepper takes the same method, while hot chile and Cayenne peppers remain condiments.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
large mild sweet peppers
Quantity
4 large (about 2 lb / 900 g total)
preferably red, washed and dried
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large mild sweet pepperspreferably red, washed and dried | 4 large (about 2 lb / 900 g total) |
Equipment Needed
- •Rimmed metal sheet pan
- •Long kitchen tongs
- •Large heatproof bowl with a plate or lid
- •Small paring knife
- •Fine-mesh sieve
Instructions
- 1
Heat the broiler
Set an oven rack 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) below the broiler and heat it on high. Line a rimmed metal sheet pan with foil. Dry the peppers thoroughly and leave them whole; water on the surface slows the blistering that makes the skin release.
- 2
Blacken every side
Set the peppers on the pan with room between them. Broil for 12 to 18 minutes, turning with tongs every 3 to 4 minutes, until every side is blistered and black and the peppers have softened slightly. Mottled brown is too early. If one side colors much faster than the others, lower the pan one shelf and keep turning; you want black skin, not scorched flesh.
Let the skin become properly black. It is a thin wrapper being sacrificed so the sweet flesh beneath can remain intact. - 3
Cover and loosen
Transfer the peppers immediately to a large heatproof bowl and cover it with a plate or tight lid. Leave them for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. The trapped moisture softens the bond between skin and flesh. Save any juices that collect in the bowl.
- 4
Peel without rinsing
Pull and rub away the black skins with your fingers, using the back of a paring knife only where needed. Never rinse the peppers under the tap, which carries away their sweet juices and roasted character. If a pale patch refuses to release, set that patch beneath the broiler for another 1 to 2 minutes, cover the pepper again for 5 minutes, and peel. Ça se rattrape.
- 5
Clear the seeds
For strips, split each pepper lengthwise, pull away the stem and seed cluster, then scrape out every loose seed and trim the thick white ribs. Work over the bowl so the juices are not lost, then strain those juices through a fine sieve. To keep a pepper whole, loosen the stem with the paring knife, draw the core out through the opening, and shake out the seeds without splitting the walls.
- 6
Cut or keep whole
Leave the peppers whole when their final use requires it, or cut them into broad strips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide for the table. Arrange the strips loosely on a platter and spoon their strained juices over them. This preparation stops here by design: oil, vinegar, garlic, or anchovy would lead into another dish. Serve warm or at room temperature. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Choose peppers that feel heavy for their size, with firm, thick walls and no soft patches. Large red bell peppers are the honest market equivalent of the preferred red Spanish type; yellow and green mild peppers work by exactly the same method, though green peppers taste more vegetal.
- •Keep hot chile and Cayenne peppers for seasoning other dishes. This treatment is intended for large, mild capsicums whose fleshy walls become tender enough to serve as a vegetable.
- •The source also permits scalding. Lower whole peppers into a deep pot of boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, turning until their skins wrinkle, then cool them just enough to peel. Scalded peppers remain paler and taste less roasted, which can suit a delicate garnish.
- •Do not rinse away stubborn skin or seeds. Work with damp fingers and strain the collected juices afterward; those juices carry much of the pepper's sweetness.
Advance Preparation
- •The peppers can be broiled, peeled, and seeded up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate them within 2 hours in a covered container with their strained juices so the flesh stays supple.
- •Bring chilled peppers toward room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, or warm them gently in a covered dish at 300°F (150°C) for 8 to 10 minutes.
- •If keeping the peppers whole, store them flat in a single layer. Once peeled, their walls are tender and can tear under the weight of another pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 155g)
Calories
55 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
10 mg
Total Carbohydrates
11 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
8 g
Protein
2 g
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