Substitute for Peppers
Many of your Milk Street recipes call for various types of peppers. I am a fan, but my family, not so much. They don’t care for “hot” spicy. Is there something you recommend to substitute for that layer of flavor? Thank you!
Many of your Milk Street recipes call for various types of peppers. I am a fan, but my family, not so much. They don’t care for “hot” spicy. Is there something you recommend to substitute for that layer of flavor? Thank you!
Comments
Ann - great question! Any time we think about substitutions, the first step is to think about the "work" that any ingredient is doing in a recipe. A chili pepper will bring some heat, of course, but depending on which techniques are used and whether the chili is fresh or dried, it might be used to thicken a soup, add crunch to a salad, or something totally different. That said, a good jumping-off point for replacing spicy peppers is to look to sweet peppers. Use a red bell pepper to replace red chilies, like Fresno, since they share a fruity flavor profile; turn to a green bell pepper instead of green chilies, like jalapeño or serrano, as they all have a nice minerally, vegetal quality. Instead of dried chili flakes, sweet paprika is often a good option. If your family can tolerate mild heat, I'd play around a bit with Aleppo pepper, which has a mild heat and fruity flavor that won't overwhelm. If you are wondering about specific recipes where you want to replace a hot pepper, let me know and I'll be happy to work through the substitution puzzle with you! - April D.