Silky Peppers

From "In Julia Child's Kitchen With Master Chefs", by Julia Child.  


George Germon and Johanne Killeen have a fantastic restaurant in Rhode Island called Al Forno.  We actually made a point of eating there on our one trip to the area, and it was awesome.  I highly recommend it if you ever find yourself in Providence.  Their chapter in Julia's book is, hands down, my favorite.  I've made every dish in their section.  This recipe is the easiest, and the most popular, among the people I feed.

6 to 8 red bell peppers (Substitute an orange or yellow pepper or two if the season allows.)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon (firmly packed) brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

1. Wash and dry the peppers.   Halve them lengthwise, seed them, cut each half into thirds, and remove the inner ribs.

2. Toss the peppers in a 12-inch skillet with the vinegar, brown sugar, and salt. (I mix the vinegar, sugar, and salt together in the pan with a whisk before adding the peppers.)  Cook at the barest simmer until they have softened but still retain their shape-10 to 12 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon to a serving dish, leaving the cooking juices in the pan.

3. Increase the heat under the skillet and let the juices reduce almost to a syrup for several minutes, scraping up any bits adhering to the pan.  Stir in the olive oil, thyme leaves, and parsley, heating just to warm the oil.  Pour over the peppers; while they are cooling and marinating, a half hour or more, they will soften and absorb flavor.  Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers in a screw top jar (anything will do), where they will keep nicely for several days.