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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Capsicums for Garnishing
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2199, Capsicums for Garnishing, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Poivrons rouges braisés turn a brittle pepper into a supple classical garnish: peeled cleanly, enclosed with butter, and cooked just until it can be shaped without tearing.
Side Dishes
French
Dinner Party
Make Ahead
20 min
Active Time
35 min cook•1 hr 10 min total
Yield4 servings
Poivrons rouges braisés pour garniture (braised red peppers for garnishing) teach the difference between merely softening a vegetable and making it supple. Blistering loosens the skin, but the covered braise is what relaxes the flesh so it bends, takes a clean knife cut, and lies obediently around a roast, an omelette, or a piece of fish.
The book's brief instruction assumed a brigade with a fierce salamander, pans already buttered, and another pair of hands ready to make the service cuts. Your broiler is the honest equivalent, followed by one shallow covered casserole and four peppers. I add only butter, salt, and enough water to begin the braise, because the entry names no stock or aromatics. Brigade quantities and trays of waiting mise en place are scaffolding and can go. Peeling first and braising whole are the dish, and they stay.
The moment that matters comes near the end: the poivrons should fold without cracking but still hold their walls. Take them beyond that and rings become impossible, though strips remain entirely within reach. Cool them in their buttery liquor before cutting, and the knife will pass through without dragging or tearing.
Sweet red peppers moved from the Mediterranean and Basque larders of southern France into the national classical repertoire, where formal kitchens treated them as a useful garniture rather than a dish tied to one regional table. The book's “Spanish capsicum” means the large, fleshy sweet pepper known through market vocabulary, not a hot piment and not a claim that the preparation itself is Spanish. Peeling and braising made the pepper mild, supple, and precise enough for the geometric cuts expected beside eggs, fish, and roasted meats.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
large red bell peppers
Quantity
4 (about 2 lb 4 oz / 1 kg total)
smooth and thick-walled
unsalted butter
Quantity
2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g)
water
Quantity
1/4 cup (60 ml / 60 g)
plus more only if needed
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g)
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large red bell pepperssmooth and thick-walled | 4 (about 2 lb 4 oz / 1 kg total) |
| unsalted butter | 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) |
| waterplus more only if needed | 1/4 cup (60 ml / 60 g) |
| fine sea salt | 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •Rimmed metal baking sheet
- •Long kitchen tongs
- •Shallow 3-quart (2.8-liter) ovenproof casserole with lid
- •Parchment paper
- •Small sharp knife
Instructions
- 1
Heat the broiler
Set an oven rack about 4 inches (10 cm) below the broiler and heat it fully. Dry the peppers and place them whole on a rimmed metal baking sheet. Leave the stems, cores, and seeds in place for now; that inner structure helps the peeled peppers survive the braise without collapsing.
- 2
Blister the skins
Broil the peppers for 12 to 16 minutes, turning them with tongs every 3 to 4 minutes, until the skins are blistered and blackened in broad patches on every side. The flesh should begin to yield but must not slump. This is peeling work, not the final cooking.
If one side splits, stop turning that pepper with the tongs and roll it by its stem instead. A small tear is harmless, but mark that pepper for strips rather than rings. - 3
Rest and peel
Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover it with a plate for 10 minutes. When they are comfortable to handle, slip off the skins with your fingers while keeping each pepper whole. Don't rinse them, because water carries away their concentrated juices. If a patch of skin clings stubbornly, return that side to the broiler for 1 minute, cover again briefly, and peel. Ça se rattrape.
- 4
Braise them whole
Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Melt the butter in a shallow ovenproof casserole over gentle heat, add the peeled peppers, and roll them carefully until coated. Sprinkle with the salt, pour the water around them, then cover with a round of parchment set directly on the peppers and a close-fitting lid. Braise for 18 to 25 minutes, turning once, until a pepper folds gently under the tongs without its wall breaking.
The liquid should barely murmur around the peppers. If the casserole dries before they are supple, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) hot water and cover again. If one pepper becomes too soft, leave it whole until thoroughly cold, then use it for strips. The shape changes, not the quality. - 5
Cool in liquor
Lift the casserole from the oven and leave the peppers covered in their buttery cooking liquor for 15 minutes. For warm service, cut them once they are just cool enough to handle. For exact diamonds or rings, cool them completely first; the flesh firms as it rests and accepts a cleaner cut.
- 6
Trim and shape
Pull out each stem and attached core, then shake or wipe away the seeds without rinsing. Cut the poivrons as the finished dish requires: lengthwise into 1/4-inch (6 mm) lanières, broad strips; into neat lozenges for a composed garnish; or crosswise into rings if the walls remain intact. Brush them with a little of the buttery braising liquor before serving. Use them warm as a side dish or arrange them around eggs, fish, poultry, or roasted meat. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Choose peppers with broad shoulders, thick flesh, and smooth skins. Deep folds make peeling tedious and prevent clean rings, while thin-walled peppers can collapse before the braise has done its work.
- •“Spanish capsicum” describes the large sweet red pepper intended by the source. Don't substitute a hot piment, and don't mix colours merely for decoration; ripe red flesh has the sweetness, depth, and even cooking this garniture needs.
- •The broiler replaces the brigade salamander, but it performs only the peeling step. The covered butter braise must remain. That moist cooking is what makes the flesh supple enough to shape without tearing.
- •Keep the preparation neutral. Garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and herbs can make a fine pepper salad, but they turn this adaptable classical garniture into another dish. Here, butter and the pepper's own reduced juices are enough.
- •Don't rinse peeled peppers. A dry towel or fingertip removes stray black flecks without washing away the concentrated red juices that give the braise its character.
Advance Preparation
- •Braise the peppers up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate them whole in their cooking liquor. Cut them on the day of service, when the cold flesh is firm and easy to shape.
- •For warm service, reheat the whole peppers gently in their covered casserole at 300°F (150°C) for 10 to 15 minutes. Add a spoonful of water if the butter has tightened around them.
- •Avoid freezing. The thawed flesh loses the resilience needed for rings and diamonds, though it remains usable in a purée or sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 180g)
Calories
115 calories
Total Fat
6 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
2 g
Cholesterol
15 mg
Sodium
585 mg
Total Carbohydrates
12 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
9 g
Protein
2 g
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