How to Use Peppers of All Colors
There are many foods throughout the culinary kingdom that go well with each other, of which salt and pepper are perhaps the most iconic. These two decorate nearly every dish, every recipe, every table, and every seasoning bar you’ve ever been to. But why? Don’t get me wrong, black pepper has its place – I love fillet au poivre, black pepper vodka, and of course crispy black pepper potato chips – but there are other less commonly used peppercorns and you should be aware of them. There is a whole world of chromatically varied flavors and you must try this pungent rainbow.
Think pink
While black, white and green peppers are different stages of the same plant, pink and Sichuan peppers come entirely from different plant species. In fact, pink pepper is a member of the cashew family , which is terrible news for those of you who are allergic to tree nuts. The pink variety is sweeter and less hot. Since these are the most striking ones, they work well in visual applications such as:
- Sophisticated Oils : These are essentially the finest thing on earth and showcase the contrast and vibrant shades of pink pepper beautifully.
- Vinaigrette : My favorite duck fat dish . I tweaked it to deplete my supply of white balsamic and this is simply unrealistic.
- Iced Cream: As the end of summer approaches, this can be a great way to finish it.
- And if all this is not enough, you can dream up and make cocktails from them.
Spicy sichuan
Sichuan peppers were not widely distributed in the United States until 2005, when the ban on their import to the United States was lifted. Often referred to as “Chinese coriander,” these little balls are warm and citrusy with the added bonus of a tingling and numb sensation. This numbness, which is very common with hot chili peppers, is called Ma La . If you are looking for an acute heat, this is what you need. So much so that Serious Eats has an article on twenty great ways to use them . Other notable uses include:
- Wing Sauce : Sriracha so over. This sauce is good enough on its own to be added to eggs for breakfast.
- Rubbing: Make sure you wear gloves, they do a great job of rubbing . But why stop there? I’d rather cook smoky Sichuan bacon.
Three peppers, one plant
Now that we’ve covered the cousins, let’s return to more familiar territory. Piper nigrum , responsible for the black pepper we all know and mostly love, is also a source of white and green peppers. Dried peppers are usually harvested green. Some are canned, pickled or frozen and retain their emerald hue. Others are briefly boiled and dried until black. If you then peel the husks off the black pepper, you get white pepper, which has several subtle benefits.
I recently tried a duck breast recipe that had black pepper in a bag, which I knew was a bad decision, and I did it anyway. My duck was dyed in a terrifying shade of “Frankenstein’s monstrous green flesh” by the end of the bath – not a perfect presentation. I tried again with white pepper and the results were perfect. Why? Because the husk contains a lot of aromatic and color compounds of black pepper. The white pepper flavor and warmth are not as strong, but those pale and smoky little cherries make the dish more appealing. You can substitute it wherever you use black pepper, but its subtle flavor can easily turn into sour sauces. So you’ll want to think outside the box with that.
- Like its pinky cousin, white pepper is great for frozen desserts, and ice cream is no exception .
- At the other end of the thermometer, you can light a flashlight for making creme brulee with white pepper .
- And if that wasn’t enough, it just so happens that it’s the secret ingredient in the original KFC recipe . That alone should be enough for you to run out and buy a few pounds of this stuff.
Last but not least, our emerald ally: green peppercorns. Since they are not hung to dry, they give them a much softer and almost vegetable flavor. In particular, they are used to make a wonderful steak sauce , their earthy taste goes very well with soft and salty ingredients. I recently tried them as part of a herb crust for baked goat cheese on a warm spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette. Yes, it was a slightly veiled excuse to eat half a pound of cheese at 10:00, but you’re not my personal trainer. Instead of judging me, you better cook this dish for yourself.
Start with 12 ounces of very cold goat cheese and cut into ½ inch slices. Freeze them on waxed paper (they will stick to the parchment) for about two hours or until they are firm. Combine 1½ cups pecans with one tablespoon of garlic, thyme, and pepper in a food processor. Transfer this temporarily to a separate bowl. Beat 2 eggs together in a second small bowl until the whites are streaky and preheat oven to 475 ℉. Now that the cheese has hardened, dip each round of cheese into it, shake off the excess egg, and press into the greens mixture. Bake on the top shelf of the oven 475 ℉ for 7-10 minutes.
Refrigerate them for 3 minutes, and if they make it to the plate, they go great with compotes, citrus vinaigrettes, and buttery crackers. They will make a great snack of this size, but the small end of a melon ball will make an amazing snack.