Roasted Red Pepper Paste

[A. J. Di Liberi]

1 Roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1 small Shallot, quartered
1 t. Light brown sugar
1 t. Honey vinegar
½ t. Sweet paprika
¼ t. Kosher salt

To roast peppers; Uniformly char the skin with a torch, place in a heavy zip top bag and set-aside until cool. Remove the skin, cut in half then remove seeds and ribs.

Puree all ingredients in a blender, refrigerate in a sealed container.

© A. J. Di Liberti 2007

[phatch]

If the bell pepper is already roasted and chopped in the ingredients, why do it again in the instructions?

I know what you mean, just giving a nudge to clean up the instructions or the ingredient list.

Phil

[A. J. Di Liberi]

There isn't anything to clean up.

Listing an ingredient and providing instruction on how to prepare it is not the same thing.

[phatch]

It would never pass a qualified food editor as written. There are plenty here to ask if you don't believe me.

Phil

[KYHeirloomer]

Absolutely right, Phil.

The recipe is ambiguous at best. It's saying to first chop a pepper, then char it and cut it in half. Huh?

This would definately confuse anyone unfamiliar with such a sauce. And anyone experienced doesn't need a recipe for that particular paste.

I'm also unfamiliar with honey vinegar. What would substitute?

[A. J. Di Liberi]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

Absolutely right, Phil.

The recipe is ambiguous at best. It's saying to first chop a pepper, then char it and cut it in half. Huh?

This would *definately confuse anyone unfamiliar with such a sauce. And anyone experienced doesn't need a recipe for that particular paste.

I'm also unfamiliar with honey vinegar. What would substitute?

I still fail to see how listing roast pepper in the ingredients, then providing instruction for roasting a pepper is confusing.

I’ve amended the instructions, hopefully that will make it easier to understand.

*Definitely

I’ve yet to see a recipe for bell pepper paste in any cook book or on line, sauce yes, paste no.

Honey vinegar is vinegar made from fermented honey, a.k.a. Mead.

I brew beer, make mead and wine. From this I make a number of varieties of malt, fruit and honey vinegars, ranging from 5% - 10% acidity.

You could use white wine vinegar as a substitute, but it would alter the flavor profile.

Honey vinegar can be found here.

[RouxTheDay]

So, it's actually not honey vinegar, but mead vinegar (sort of like saying grape vinegar rather than wine vinegar).

It's definitely standard to suggest an alternate for any ingredient that's fairly obscure or difficult to procure. Seems to me balsamic would work very well. In fact, it might even work better.

Most of the red pepper pastes I use simply list "vinegar" (no specific type) if they even call for it at all (most don't).

[A. J. Di Liberi]

Originally Posted by RouxTheDay

So, it's actually not honey vinegar, but mead vinegar (sort of like saying grape vinegar rather than wine vinegar).

It's definitely standard to suggest an alternate for any ingredient that's fairly obscure or difficult to procure. Seems to me balsamic would work very well. In fact, it might even work better.

Most of the red pepper pastes I use simply list "vinegar" (no specific type) if they even call for it at all (most don't).

Yes it’s made from mead. I have never seen it sold as or referred to as anything other than honey vinegar.

Honey vinegar is sweet and acidic at the same time, the flavor and aroma of the honey fermented to make the vinegar is distinct, and shines in the finished product.

There really isn’t a substitute for honey vinegar in this recipe the way I make it.

Cooks will make additions, omissions and substitutions, in any recipe to suit their taste.

I’m offering for your consideration, an original recipe created in my kitchen, the way I make it.

[phatch]

Originally Posted by RouxTheDay

Seems to me balsamic would work very well. In fact, it might even work better.

After reading the link to honey vinegar and the bit about Banyuls vinegar, I think you're right about the balsamic.

[A. J. Di Liberi]

So phatch, I see from your post, you write about how you use others work (recipes) in your post in this forum.

Both you and KY, request recipes in this forum…

When can we expect to see original recipes of yours?

Or do you only critique the work of others?

[A. J. Di Liberi]

Originally Posted by phatch

After reading the link to honey vinegar and the bit about Banyuls vinegar, I think you're right about the balsamic.

Yes, you can truly alter my recipe to suit your taste.

Substituting balsamic for honey vinegar in this recipe, is akin to substituting scotch for gin in a martini…

You’ll get a roasted pepper paste; the flavor and aroma will not be the same.

[A. J. Di Liberi]

Originally Posted by phatch

After reading the link to honey vinegar and the bit about Banyuls vinegar, I think you're right about the balsamic.

Yes, you can truly alter my recipe to suit your taste.

Substituting balsamic for honey vinegar in this recipe, is akin to substituting scotch for gin in a martini…

You’ll get a roasted pepper paste; the flavor and aroma will not be the same.

[phatch]

I have recipes scattered throughout the archives and in other threads as well as basic ingredient lists, ideas and suggestions.

I'm a professional writer. I learned long ago not to take edits personally. I critiqued this one recipe of yours because it was unclearly written and needed clarification. This was not an attack on you but to help your recipe be helpful to others who know less about cooking.

Phil

[A. J. Di Liberi]

Originally Posted by phatch

I'm a professional writer.
I critiqued this one recipe of yours because it was unclearly written and needed clarification.

Phil

Fair enough!