There are dishes that change your life. And it’s not that I say it, but that chef José Andrés himself believes in it wholeheartedly. I’ll put you in context. Bon appétit magazine has a popular section in which interview public figures notables from all walks of life: from actors, athletes or writers, to comedians, presenters or chefs. In that section, called Dream Dinner Party (literally, dream dinner), they ask celebrities to describe their dream dinner, who they would invite and what dishes they would serve.

In the case of chef José Andrés, the answer was clear: gazpacho, oysters and roasted red peppers. Little explanation is needed regarding his first proposal since, despite having been outside Spain for 30 years, Spanish gastronomy continues to occupy a special place in his life, and gazpacho even more so. Oysters are a product that, he says, he likes more and more over the years. But if there is an interesting story, it is the one related to roasted red peppers.

Roasted peppers, the dish that marked chef José Andrés

The Asturian chef’s response goes beyond recommending a divine dish such as roasted red peppers, but rather it is a tribute to his motherone of his greatest references in the kitchen. Hence, when talking about them he gets emotional and connects directly with his earliest childhood.

José Andrés describes them as «sweet, delicious and had a nice touch of viscosity.» As he explains, his mother roasted them until the skin turned brown. Then I put them in oil with garlic and added water so that they were done slowlyuntil it formed an emulsified sauce. A trick to keep in mind is that to control the acidity, I added a few drops of sherry vinegar.

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If you’re thinking about what to serve them with, the chef is clear: «When people ask me why eggs are so important in Spanish cultureI show you a picture of Diego Velazquezwith a woman frying an egg in a terracotta container over a fire. Show me another culture that has such an incredible painting depicting a woman frying an egg. And the eggs with peppers? Believe me: it changes your life.» In case you’re wondering, the painting the chef refers to is «Old Woman Frying Eggs.»

How to roast peppers

Have you wanted to roast peppers but you’ve never done it? You can make them in the oven at 200ºC, it’s that easy. The idea is that they stay with that charred exterior which gives it the characteristic (and irresistible) smoked flavor.

The first thing you have to do is put them on a tray greased with a little oil to prevent them from sticking. So that they roast well They will need at least half an houralthough everything will depend on the size of the peppers, the peculiarities of the oven and where you place the tray.

Finally, you will have to place them in a container with a lid or wrap them in newspaper or a clean cloth. Let them rest for approximately half an hour, so that they sweat and make it easier to peel them.