Salată de Ardei Copți
Salată de Ardei Copți·(sah-LAH-tuh deh ahr-DAY coptz)
Sunday Grătar: The Romanian Backyard BBQ
The scent of blistering peppers is the olfactory trigger of the Romanian diaspora, a heavy, smoky perfume drifting over Midwestern fences and apartment balconies. This is the noble salad of the Sunday backyard barbecue, a masterclass in agrarian simplicity where technique means everything. You roast the sweet peppers until they collapse into ash, let them sweat, and—most importantly—never let water touch them once they are charred. The dark, smoky liquid they release in the bowl isn't waste; it is the absolute soul of the dish.
Ingredients
- sweet pointed peppers or red bell peppers2 1/2 lb
- kosher salt1 tsp
- sunflower oil3 tbsp
- apple cider vinegar2 tbsp
- garlic2 small cloves
- granulated sugar1/2 tsp
- dried thyme1 pinch
- fresh parsley1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Char the peppers completely over an open flame or under a broiler.
Prepare a grill for high heat or set your oven broiler to high. Roast the peppers, turning every 4 to 5 minutes, until the skins are completely blackened, blistered, and collapsed. This should take 15 to 20 minutes.
- 02
Steam the peppers in a sealed bowl to loosen the skins.
Transfer the blazing hot peppers immediately into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle them generously with the kosher salt. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and let them sit for 20 to 30 minutes. The trapped steam and salt will separate the charred skin from the sweet flesh.
- 03
Peel the blackened skin using only your bare hands.
Uncover the bowl and set up a workstation with a serving platter and a small side bowl of cold water. Working one pepper at a time, gently pinch and peel away the blackened skin, dipping your fingers into the cold water to rinse off the sticky ash. Never rinse the pepper itself under the faucet, or you will wash away the smoky essence.
- 04
Tear the peeled peppers into thick strips.
Pull out the stem and seeds, discard them, and tear the clean flesh into strips, arranging them on your serving platter.
- 05
Build the vinaigrette using the reserved smoky pepper juices.
Return to the bowl you used to sweat the peppers. Do not discard the dark liquid at the bottom. Add the sunflower oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, paper-thin garlic slices, and dried thyme directly into that pepper juice and whisk vigorously to combine.
- 06
Dress the peppers and let the salad marinate before serving.
Pour the smoky vinaigrette over the peeled peppers on the platter, gently lifting them so the dressing gets underneath. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 48 hours, allowing the peppers to drink up the dressing. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
The golden rule is to never rinse the peeled peppers with water.
Washing the charred peppers under a running tap destroys the delicate, smoky flavor profile. Keep a bowl of water nearby to dip your sticky fingers into, but keep the water away from the peppers themselves.
Sunflower oil is traditional and superior here.
While extra virgin olive oil is great for Italian food, its peppery profile fights the delicate smokiness of this dish. Neutral sunflower oil allows the roasted pepper to remain the star.
From Cook Romanian in America.