One of my all-time favorite foods was my Mema’s fried green bell peppers. So luscious, so flavorful, so aromatic, so versatile! Back in the day, we would travel to visit my grandparents just about every weekend. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night could keep us from those scrumptious green peppers! And Mema always delivered! No sooner did we walk through her front door, we knew those peppers were ready.
Sometimes we would have them with just a piece of crusty bread and a sprinkling of salt…
Sometimes we would load them on a bologna sandwich made with soft white bread – bread that soon masqueraded as a very happy sponge soaking up all of those magnificent mouth-watering pepper juices…
Other times she would combine them with eggs – ahhhh, yes, frittata – we did indeed have ourselves a feast!
PrintFried Green Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 lbs. green bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Place olive oil in frying pan.
- Let oil heat.
- Place peppers in oil.
- Cook for approximately 1/2 hour.
- Peppers will cook down to about half their size.
- Fry until caramelized.
- Enjoy hot, cold or at room temperature.
For a real kick, use Hot Italian Peppers… Mema made these too, and for her, the hotter, the better, baby! She was one tough cookie!!
Mema, my maternal grandmother whose family descended from Reggio, Calabria, and Gram, my paternal grandmother whose lineage began in Guardia Piemontese, Calabria, knew what they were doing in the kitchen!
My grandmothers could take a very simple ingredient, like a green pepper or a cube steak, and elevate it to its highest pinnacle of flavor…they had such respect for food and the process behind its rise to grandeur.
They were artists…
Thank you, Mema & Gram.
Ciao
deb says
Can you freeze them after cooking? Id like to find additional uses for sweet peppers from my garden.
Annie says
I have not frozen them after cooking. However, you could prep the fresh peppers by cleaning and slicing, then store them in freezer bags, in the freezer, and use as much or as little when you’re ready to bake or fry. Good luck!
Nicole says
Brought me right back!!! Choked me up too!
Annie says
You were so little…