ROASTED BELL PEPPER SAUCE

3 cups

          Sauces made from bell peppers are colorful, light and full flavored. You can use red, yellow or green bell peppers. When peppers are plentiful, use two sauces, each a different color, at the same time. They are particularly good with seafood and chicken or a special dish like the Santa Fe tortillas with Gulf crabmeat.

          4 large red, yellow or green bell peppers, roasted, peeled and chilled

          1 clove garlic, chopped

          1 1/2 cups chicken broth, preferably    homemade

          2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

          1 tablespoon cornstarch

          2 serrano chilies, stemmed and seeded (optional)

          2 tablespoons tomato paste (see note)

          1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream

          Salt

          Pepper

Cut the peppers in several pieces and place them in a blender jar. Be sure to add any juices that may have accumulated after roasting the peppers. Add the garlic, chicken broth, flour, cornstarch, serrano chilies and tomato paste, if using, and blend on high speed until very smooth.

          Put the pureed peppers in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in 1/4 cup cream and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add additional cream if necessary to make a sauce the consistency of heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer and then put it back in the same saucepan over low heat to keep warm until ready to use.

          NOTE. Use tomato paste only with red peppers.