Roasted Pepper Skordalia Recipes

ROASTED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Roast peppers by placing them on gas stove or open flame. Make sure to turn peppers to char evenly. When pepper skin is black, remove peppers and place them in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes. Remove peppers and peel off black skin. Remove seeds. Cut each pepper into 6 sections. Put peppers in a clean bowl and add olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

ROASTED PEPPER SKORDALIA

Steps:

• Broil 2 large red bell peppers, turning, until charred, 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let steam 20 minutes. Remove the skin, stems and seeds. Puree the peppers in a blender with 1/4 cup each blanched almonds and lemon juice and 6 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook 2 russet potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks) and 6 smashed garlic cloves in salted simmering water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until dry, 2 minutes; remove from the heat and mash. Fold in the pepper puree. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and top with chives.

EASY ROASTED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Cut the peppers into quarters. Remove the seeds and the membranes. Roast the peppers until the skin blisters and turns black. Remove from oven and cover with plastic, or a tea towel, or place in a paper bag until cool. The skins should peel away off of the peppers easily when cooled.

ROASTED GARLIC SKORDALIA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Put unpeeled garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of the oil, season with salt and pepper. Fold the foil in to form a neat little package. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft but not caramelized.
• Boil the potatoes until they are very tender, and drain. Let cool slightly.
• Puree the one garlic clove into a smooth paste, using a mortar and a pestle. Add a pinch of salt and place in a bowl.
• Cut off the heads of the roasted garlic cloves with scissors and squeeze the pulp into the bowl. Combine with the raw garlic. Drizzle in the wonderful oil from the foil package also.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, but still warm, peel them and add one at a time to the garlic. You can fluff them in with a fork and mix until smooth.
• Drizzle in the remaining olive oil a bit a time, making sure to have a smooth puree before adding more oil. Season with the lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
• If you want a looser sauce, add some warm water or chicken stock.
• Serve right away, or keep at room temperature for few hours. If you need to keep it longer than that, refrigerate but return to room temperature before serving.

ROASTED PEPPERS WITH GARLIC AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place peppers, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Divide garlic among peppers. Sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper. Roast until flesh is tender and skin is blistered in spots, 35 minutes. Transfer peppers to a platter and top with a small handful torn basil leaves.

SKORDALIA (GARLIC-WALNUT SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, soak the bread in 1/2 cup water for 2 minutes. Remove excess water from the bread so that it is wet, but not dripping. Place bread and walnuts in the bowl of a blender or food processor and pulse until a paste forms. Add the garlic, olive oil and salt and process until well blended, scraping down the sides as necessary. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and vinegar. Adjust salt to taste. Serve with bacalao fritters (see recipe).

CRISP BLACK COD WITH SKORDALIA AND ROASTED BEETS

Steps:

• Make the skordalia: Bring potatoes and garlic to a boil in a medium pot of salted water. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Drain, and let cool.
• Peel garlic, and mash with potatoes. Pulse potatoes and vinegar in a food processor. Working quickly, add safflower oil in a steady stream, then club soda. Transfer to a bowl, and season with salt. Cover, and refrigerate.
• Make the beets: Bring beets to a boil in a small pot of salted water. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, let cool, peel, and cut into quarters. Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add beet greens, and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in beets. Season with salt and pepper.
• Make the cod: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Cook cod on 1 side until bottom is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven, and roast until fish is opaque, 5 minutes. Serve, crisp side up, with skordalia, beets, and greens. Garnish with dill.

SKORDALIA (GREEK GARLIC POTATO DIP)

Steps:

• Peel and quarter the potatoes and add to a saucepan with enough cold salted water to cover by 1 inch. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and continue to simmer until potatoes are tender, but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While potatoes are cooking, add garlic and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a mortar and pestle. Crush into a fine paste and reserve.
• Drain potatoes, reserving some of the cooking water to thin the dip out with later if desired. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or potato ricer until smooth and lump free. Stir in garlic paste. Add lemon juice and vinegar and stir in with the masher.
• Whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil in 3 or 4 additions. Add cayenne and more salt if needed. Pass dip through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Serve at room temperature, garnished with olive oil and oregano.