PEPPERS

MOST COOKS ARE FAMILIAR WITH ROASTING bell peppers for salads or dips. However, peppers may be sliced and cooked as a vegetable side dish as well. Green peppers are unripe and generally quite bitter. Red, yellow, and orange peppers are all fully ripe and much sweeter. Avoid purple peppers, which turn a drab green color when cooked and cost much more than green peppers.

We tested sautéing and stir-frying first and found that both methods yield lightly seared peppers that are still fairly crisp. They were good, but lacked the silky smoothness of roasted peppers. We tried longer cooking times, but the exterior charred by the time the pepper was fully cooked.

We decided to see what would happen if we put the cover on the skillet after searing them. As we hoped, the peppers steamed in their own juices and became especially tender. We found that the moisture from the peppers is enough to keep them from scorching in the covered pan. We also realized that we now had an opportunity to add another liquid for juicier, seasoned peppers. A little vinegar balances the intense sweetness of the peppers and works especially well.