Sweet & Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Relish

Name: Sweet & Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Cuisine: Southwest
Ingredients: 1 cup diced roasted red bell peppers (2 small or 1 large pepper); 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar; ¼ tsp Smoked Salt; ½ tsp Smoked Sugar; Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Roasting red peppers--whether over a stovetop kitchen burner or an outdoor grill--has been a summer staple for us since the early 1980s. This was the era of Mark Miller's Santa Fe Bar & Grill in Berkeley and the burgeoning interest in the flavors (and colors) of Mexico and the American Southwest throughout the US.

San Francisco based Lazzari Mesquite found its way into John A. Brown Kitchenware, a local shop I managed, and on to adventurous homes throughout the SF Bay Area with home chefs looking to cook with natural firewood instead of compressed sawdust and additives.

Simply roasting the peppers, even on the stovetop, imbues them with the requisite smokiness we've come to love, however, the addition of smoked salt and smoked sugar in this recipe adds another layer of flavor. We've been enjoying this on our hamburgers this summer instead of store-bought pickle relish. Here's a link to our recent post on building a better burger: "Building a Better Burger".

Alas, we no longer offer smoked seasonings in our shop, however, you can buy directly from the maker at Whiskey Oak Seasonings, another fine small business in California.

Sweet & Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Relish

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Cuisine

Southwest

The addition of smoked salt, smoked sugar, and our white balsamic vinegar in this sweet and smoky roasted red pepper recipe adds layers of flavor.

Ingredients

1 cup diced roasted red bell peppers (2 small or 1 large pepper)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar
¼ tsp Smoked Salt
½ tsp Smoked Sugar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Directions

Roasting the Peppers

Place whole raw red bell pepper(s) on top of a direct source of heat from a gas stove, or on top of the coils of an electric stove, or on an outdoor grill. Alternatively, you can also use a kitchen torch. If using a torch or a grill, roast outside, however, if roasting on a stovetop, make sure to have an exhaust fan running on high as the peppers will produce smoke.
Use metal tongs to rotate the pepper(s) until the skin is evenly black all over.
Once the pepper’s skin is evenly blackened, use the tongs to place them in a paper bag. Close the bag so that the peppers continue to cook via residual steam until they reach room temperature.
Use a pair of scissors to cut the bag open to expose the peppers, then use that bag to collect the blackened skin as you peel it away using the back of a small utility knife.
Once satisfied that enough blackened skin has been removed, discard the paper bag—we recommend in your compost. The steaming process will have loosened the blackened skin throughly, however, expect that some small specs of black to remain for both flavors and looks. Do not rinse as it will diminish flavors.
Cut into a medium dice.

Assembling the Relish

Combine diced red peppers with all other ingredients, adjusting them to your own taste.
Make sure to drain slightly before applying to hamburgers, hot dogs, and other sandwiches.

Recipe Note

Another summer variation is the addition of grilled corn to the red peppers. Husk and roast an ear of corn until the kernels are a light golden brown. Steam in a separate bag from the blacked peppers. Once corn reaches room temperature, remove kernels from cob and add to relish as desired. Enjoy!

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