Pepper Sandwiches

A three-ingredient sandwich filling that depends entirely on the pepper being cooked soft and then cooled completely. Everything else is assembly.

• Which pepperIn a book of this period "a pepper" most likely means a green sweet pepper rather than a chile, though the text does not say and the headnote's "pungent" leaves room for doubt. If you want more heat, a little finely chopped chile or a pinch of cayenne stirred in with the salt gets you there without changing the texture.
• QuantitiesOne medium bell pepper, finely chopped, with one tablespoon of butter fills roughly six to eight small sandwiches. Grated cheese is unmeasured; about half a cup of a firm aged cheddar suits this quantity.
• Heat without browningThis is the hinge. Cook the pepper gently, stirring as the recipe directs, until it softens rather than fries. Browned pepper turns bitter.
• Cold before spreading"When quite cold" is not fussiness. Warm buttered pepper soaks straight through thin bread and the sandwiches collapse. Chill the mixture fully, ideally an hour in the refrigerator, so the butter sets and the filling holds.
• The cheeseThe recipe says only to add grated cheese before closing the slices. Scattering it dry onto the second slice is one workable way, and grating it fine helps the slices sit flat.
• The breadFive Roses was a flour brand and the reference to their bread is advertising. Any close-crumbed white sandwich loaf, sliced thin, works. Day-old bread cuts thinner and cleaner than fresh.
• ServingThese sit in the dainty sandwich tradition. The recipe itself does not specify trimming or shaping, but thin bread with crusts trimmed and cut into triangles or fingers is the usual period treatment, and they are best made shortly before serving.