In cooking there is a lot of peeling. Prepping vegetables can be a tedious task and the idea of cutting small corners here and there can be insidious. Peeling raw peppers is one of those details that many chefs forgo. However, like the simple act of washing a dryer filter, some tasks don't appear to be necessary until after you try them, when an irritating error message suddenly goes silent or a previously unpeeled vegetable suddenly snaps into sharper focus. Years ago we made a charred jalapeno and bacon sauce, which blended candied bacon with grilled jalapenos that were mostly peeled. However, we peeled those peppers just because we could and the blistered pepper skins mostly fell off on their own. Then, last year when we were preparing the Mangalista dinner at elements in Princeton, Mr Anderson started peeling jalapenos for a relish. He picked up a peeler and just went to town, removing the tough exterior skin of the small peppers. At this point a lightbulb went off. It was one of those moments where "aha" could not cover my delight with an idea. Such a simple evolution and what an amazing difference it made. The peppers were then seeded, diced and vacuum sealed to intensify their color and make the texture juicier. And without the skin of the jalapeno to interfere, the flavorful relish was at first crunchy and then simply melted in our mouths. And this is why most Italians peel their peppers, Those skins are tough and don't add much flavor. If we're going to take the time and effort to dice them beautifully, why wouldn't we want to peel them as well? As always, the devil is in the details. Ignore him at your peril. In order to pursue perfection we have to get our hands dirty in the kitchen.
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