Peperonata: Bell Pepper Stew

Overview

Peperonata — bell peppers braised slowly in olive oil with tomato and onion until they melt into a unified, sweet, slightly caramelised mass — demonstrates the Italian principle of cooking vegetables long past the point any Western instinct suggests. The peppers lose their raw bite, their bright crunch, their cell wall structure; they become soft, sweet, unified with the tomato and onion into something greater. This is the Italian vegetable braise: transformation through time, not preservation through speed.

Key Principles

- **The peppers:** A combination of red and yellow — the sweetness varies (red and yellow are sweeter than green); green peppers can be included for complexity but should not dominate

- **The seed removal:** Essential — pepper seeds have a bitter flavour that concentrates during the long braise. Remove completely

- **The olive oil:** Generous — the peppers braise in oil, not steam in water

- **The cook:** 45 minutes to 1 hour at medium-low — the peppers should completely soften and the liquid should reduce to a thick, jammy consistency

- **Room temperature service:** Peperonata served warm is good; served at room temperature is better. The flavours integrate further as it cools

Source

Hazan