How To Cut Bell Peppers With Ease According To Gordon Ramsay

Crunchy lengths of raw bell pepper make the perfect vibrant addition to a platter of crudite. However, their vivid color and sweet flavor are also incredible in hot dishes, such as fajitas and ratatouille. An interesting fact about bell peppers is that the seeds that surround the core are actually perfectly safe to eat. Having said that, they tend to taste bitter, which is why they are often removed. The white membrane (or pith) lining the inside of this striking veggie can also have a bitter character and spongy texture. According to British chef Gordon Ramsay, the best way to cut bell peppers with ease — and eliminate both the pesky seeds and pith — is to cut around their cores instead of pulling them out.

The traditional way to cut a bell pepper is to lay it down on its side and slice through it at one end to cut away the stem first. The problem is that this technique leaves the seeds and placenta in the body of the capsicum, and you have to put your hand inside to coax it out, which can get messy and leave lots of seeds on your cutting board. Ramsay's method is neater and still gives you the same results. The British chef cuts the green stalk off first to create a level surface and places the pepper on the board so it sits upside down. Then he uses his knife to cut down the vertical pepper, using rounded strokes to follow its natural convex shape.

Ramsay's clever method means the seeds inside the bell pepper are left untouched as he makes his way around its entire circumference. Once he's finished, all that's left is the core, which he can easily discard. The cooking show host also advises placing the shiny side of a bell pepper piece down on a cutting board before slicing it. This trick makes it easier for the knife to cut through the flesh and produce uniform lengths that have sharp edges. Plus, it's the best method for cutting bell peppers for fajitas as it increases their surface area, promotes maximum caramelization, and intensifies their sweet flavor.

The easiest way to pick sweeter bell peppers is to select red and orange colored ones versus green ones. They should also have a firm texture and shiny appearance (avoid any peppers in the produce aisle that have a yielding exterior, brown spots, or a dull finish). If your knife skills aren't up to par, another mess-free way to cut bell peppers is to push the stem of the pepper downwards inside its cavity. Then you can break open the flesh and remove the core and seeds in one move.