Roasting vegetables brings out a hidden sweetness, cuts raw flavors, and softens ingredients for blending or mashing.
In this case, roasting does not refer to the slow cooking of a turkey. Nor is it the grilling of vegetables for a summer salad. Rather, it is the quick cooking and charring of vegetables on direct, high heat.
There are three basic roasting techniques that you can use. Which technique you use will depend on what equipment you have available and what technique will work best for the vegetable you are using.
Direct Flame
The direct flame in Latin cooking traditionally comes from a wood or charcoal fire. Some of the women I have seen will just place vegetables directly in the coals of a fire to blacken the skins.
It is recommended to use a grate or grill above a flame and slowly turn your ingredients as they blacken and the skins blister.
As a replacement to an outdoor grill or an open flame, a gas burner can be used. Be warned: This technique may make a bit of a mess for vegetables like tomatoes and tomatillos.
This is the preferred technique for roasting peppers in particular.
Broiler
The second best option in most cases is the use of a broiler. While you will not get a certain smoky flavor imparted on the food, the close, high heat will achieve a nice char on the ingredients.
Typically, you slice your vegetables in half and arrange on a baking sheet. Place a few inches below a preheated 500 degree broiler for 4-8 minutes for a nice black and blistered skin. Turn the vegetables over and repeat for the other side.
This technique is best for tomatoes and tomatillos.
Pan Roasting
There are some ingredients that are best done by pan roasting, such as garlic and peanuts, because of their size. It allows you to keep a close eye on your food and rotate quickly and frequently.
To pan roast, heat a heavy skillet over medium high. This is not frying. Do not put oil in the bottom of the pan. To keep moist ingredients like tomatoes from sticking, you may want to cover the bottom in aluminum foil for easier flipping and turning. For smaller items like peanuts and garlic, this is not necessary.
Place halved ingredients cut-side down in the skillet and allow to char. Flip and allow the skins to blacken and blister.
For more information on particular vegetables, check out this article on tips for roasting specific vegetables.
