What can I do with bitter green peppers?

Supermarket packets of peppers always include a green pepper - nasty, bitter stuff that I only use in minestrone. What else can I do with them?Mel, Evesham, Worcestershire This is all too familiar to Luis Gonzalez-Castro, founder of London-based Cuban supper club Cocina Cuca, who " doesn't like their raw, bitter flavor, either." That said, green peppers have always featured in his family's cooking, so Gonzalez-Castro "learned to like them"—and so do you, Mel! of healing might begin with aji relleno, a favorite of Gonzalez-Castro's father: "He cuts off the caps of some peppers, gently coats them in olive oil, then fills them with picadillo [ a mixture of minced meat, herbs, raisins and olives]. They go into the oven and “oddly, the results are stunning. The peppers soften in the steam and, with the sweetness of raisins and the salty taste of olives, the bitterness evaporates."

Another who suggests that Mel should, uh, get stuffed is Maunika Gowardhan, pepper enthusiast and author of the recently published Tandoori Home Cooking: "My mom made this with spicy mashed potatoes, and it's so good," she says. First heat some oil in a pan, "stir in the asafoetida, cumin seeds, green chillies, ground coriander, chilli powder and turmeric, then add the potatoes [boiled and] mashed and seasoned". You'll also need mango powder "for flavor" and chopped cilantro, before piling everything into halved green peppers brushed with oil and grilling. "They still have a bit of a bite when you cut them, but you get that nice charred flavor."

Skewers are another contender for curing a green pepper problem. These, suggests Gowardhan, could be strung with murgh malai tikka (for which the chicken is marinated in garlic, ginger, chilli, malt vinegar and yoghurt) or with paneer ("infused with saffron, cardamom and fennel") alongside sliced ​​green peppers: "They help secure the meat or paneer, while adding even more flavor. The eggs, as always, are another good shout: "An omelet is a really good way to use up green peppers," says chef, restaurateur and Guardian contributor José Pizarro. "Caramelize the onions in olive oil, then stir in the potatoes ground [sliced] and peppers, add plenty of salt and pepper and fry." Pour in the beaten eggs and cook until they start to set. Turn over (using a plate), cook the other side for a few more minutes and you won't notice any bitterness, Pizarro said reassuringly.

Then there's this eternal savior week, the sauteed. "If you're using soy and honey to get that sweet and savory mix, green peppers are a great addition," says Paul Ainsworth, chef-owner of The Ainsworth Collection in North Cornwall. Otherwise, ignore the wind and lean towards bitterness, he says: "Peppers can add flavor and body to good dishes due to their slight bitterness; they are excellent in a green tomato chutney, for example."

Miguel Barclay, author of the One Pound Meals series, goes one step further: "Create a dish that can't be made without them - something that uses their unique taste as an advantage: a Sloppy Giuseppe pizza, say. And if all else fails, he adds, deploy secret tactics. "Hide them," he says, sauces being the obvious vehicle: " In Mexican salsas, maybe, or put some softened green peppers in salsa verde or chimichurri — they add a nice earthy tone, and the salsa hides those bitter notes that a lot of people hate."

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