Charred Pepper Salad and Eggplant Caviar (Ardei Copti and Salata de Vinete)

These roasted peppers and eggplant dip are always on a table of Romanian starters, and always together. Jamie Orlando Smith Photography

Charred Pepper Salad With Garlic Vinaigrette (Ardei Copti)

Here are the flavors of Romanian summers: sweet charred peppers, bathed in tangy garlic sauce. The trick is to choose perfectly ripened peppers, so that the flesh won’t stick to the skin when it’s peeled off. 

Serves 4–6

• 4–6 bell or Romano peppers
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped, almost to a paste

Heat a griddle pan (or grill) to high heat and char the peppers evenly on all sides, turning often, until they become soft. Peel the skins away very carefully, keeping the stalks attached.