Stokes Sauces: Perfection with peppers - sweet, juicy, delicious

Delightfully in season now

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/chutneys-and-relishes

AKA capsicums, peppers are part of a broad family varying in size, colour, shape and heat. From the sweetest red bell peppers to the hottest of 400,000 Scoville units of Scotch Bonnet.

Today, we are looking at sweet and juicy rather than hot and fiery.

Green peppers are simply red peppers that haven't ripened yet. This is why their taste is harsher, more bitter and acidic. They combine well in salads or fried off with their red, yellow and orange sisters, adding a colourful vibrancy to a dish.

Slow roasting with a drizzle of oil deepens the intensity of the flavour and softens the texture of the body. Whether skinned or not, they make a delicious side dish, healthy lunch or light, tasty supper.

Stuffed, roast, simmered peppers

Shakshuka bake

Shakshuka is an Arabic word meaning 'a mixture' - a tomato, pepper and aubergine dish dating back to the times and geographical reach of the Ottoman Empire.

You'll need:

2 red peppers, sliced
2 yellow peppers, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 aubergine, sliced
Positively loads of fresh tomatoes, halved or quartered according to size
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of smoked paprika
2 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam
3 tbsp of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup
3 or 4 eggs

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/ketchup-and-sauces

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Roast the peppers, onion and aubergine drizzled with oil in a roasting tin or ovenproof dish for 15 minutes.

Now stir in the chilli jam, ketchup, cumin and paprika and roast for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the dish again and squash the juicy mixture with a potato masher, combining everything well together.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4. Using the back of a spoon, make a well in the mixture in which to crack each of the eggs.

Pop it back into the oven and bake the eggs until cooked for about 10 minutes. Served with warm pitta bread this makes a very tasty lunch or light supper.

Peppers Piemontese

This is a very simple dish from the north-western Piedmont region of Italy. Imagine sitting at the foot of the Alps, sipping a fine glass of Barolo as you taste this. It demonstrates just how much intense flavour you can get from so few ingredients.

It's not the most attractive dish, but
boy does it taste good.

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

Cut 3 or 4 red peppers in half lengthways.

In each, put a couple of leaves of basil, half a teaspoon of Stokes Chilli Jam, 4 juicy small vine tomatoes (halved), a clove of garlic (crushed to release the flavour), 1 or 2 anchovy fillets.

Rub a baking tray with olive oil and place your pepper 'boats' into it. Drizzle each with more oil and a twist or two of black pepper.

Roast the peppers for 30 minutes then a further 45 minutes with the heat reduced to 170°C/gas mark 3 or 4.

When you serve them, serve them warm, not hot. Don't waste any of the juices and enjoy your 'Peperoni alla Piemontese' with thick slices of rustic bread.

Macaroni peppers

This takes 'yummy' to new heights of tasty joy. Roasting peppers stuffed with cheesy macaroni - who knew!

You'll need:

4 bell peppers, different colours for a fun teatime treat
225 g of uncooked macaroni
50 g of butter
2 tbsp of plain flour
275 g of good old Cheddar cheese, grated
50 g of Parmesan cheese, grated
750 ml of milk
A pinch of nutmeg
1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon or Classic English Mustard

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/traditional-condiments

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

Cook the macaroni to the pack's instruction, drain and set aside in a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour to make a roux and gently add the milk to thicken and simmer before adding the cheeses, pinch of nutmeg and mustard (save a little cheese to sprinkle on the top before baking).

Pour the cheesy sauce over the macaroni and mix it together. Cut the tops off your peppers and scoop out the pips and pith, then fill each with macaroni cheese.

Scatter the remaining cheese on the top of each pepper and bake them in a oiled tin for 20 to 25 minutes. Choose which colour pepper you prefer and enjoy.