How To Roast A Capsicum (Red Pepper)

Roasted red peppers (or capsicums) are a versatile ingredient, great in sauces and dips, as part of an antipasto, piled onto bruschetta and tossed through pasta.

You can char capsicum quickly over an open flame or on a barbecue, but I find the slower method of cooking them in the oven gives a deeper, sweeter flavour and better result.

Roast red or yellow capsicums, but don’t bother with the unripe green ones which have an astringent herbal taste rather than sweet ripe capsicum flavour.

As for a wine pairing with dishes featuring roasted red capsicum, I generally like cabernet sauvignon. The typical dark fruit notes and smokey oakiness harmonise well with the rich caramelised capsicum flavours – even better with a touch of merlot to soften it, as you find in Cluny from Coonawarra’s Zema Estate.