Grilled Pepper Salad - Salata de ardei copti

As promised and maybe a bit faster than i thought it will be here is the recipe for the Grilled Pepper Salad. This can be a hassle for some and opening a jar of grilled peppers might be better.

But hear me when i say that none of the peppers found in the shops will taste better than this!! This is the way my mum and my grandmother use to cook it!!

If you want just a one time salad and have no space to cool them in please use the quantities below. Otherwise you can multiple this how many times you want and store it in the fridge.

In the old days when kitchens were equipped with wood-burning stoves,peppers were simply put on top of the hot plate to grill. In our days the peppers can be prepared on the barbecue over charcoal or under the oven broiler.

Buy 1 pepper per person. For a 4 person dinner you need to have 4 peppers which means 1 pepper each. Select peppers that have flat surfaces if possible because those with bumps do not grill evenly. Red peppers are better than green because they are sweeter and more aromatic.

Put the whole pepper on the barbecue without cutting off the stems as they are easier to handle during preparation. Turn them often around every 4 – 6 minutes so that they char evenly. They will become soft and the skin will start to come off. This should not take longer than 30 minutes.

Place the cooked peppers in a bowl or a container. Sprinkle with salt and stack on top of each other. Cover them with a lid or towel and let them sit for at least 15 minutes.

During this time you can prepare the vinaigrette:
3tbsp olive oil
2tbsp vinegar(any white vinegar)
2tbsp salt
1tbsp of freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl mix them all together and let them sit.
Going back to the peppers now that they cooled down take them one by one out of the container. Hold by stem and with wet hand peel skin off by pinching the skin and pulling. Keep wetting your hand and rubbing the peppers to remove all trace of blackness.
Pour all vinaigrette into a bowl with peppers. Stir gently so they are all coated and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
This can be served with the eggplant salad or just by themselves.
I love eating them with oven chips and feta cheese.
Enjoy!