Fried Small Peppers Filled With Feta and Quinoa

Name: Fried Small Peppers Filled With Feta and Quinoa
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings as an hors d’oeuvre or 4 as a side dish
Cuisine: eastern european
Ingredients: 8 small sweet peppers, either baby bell or Italian peppers, about 1 pound; 1 egg yolk; 3 ounces feta, crumbled (about 3/4 cup); 1/2 cup cooked quinoa or bulgur; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or mint; Freshly ground pepper; 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour; 2 to 3 tablespoons sunflower or grapeseed oil, as needed

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 5(70)
Comments: Read comments

The starting off point for this recipe is a classic Balkan cheese-stuffed pepper dish that I enjoyed frequently over the course of a long ago summer spent in Croatia. The peppers that are traditionally used for this are small, thin-skinned green peppers that taper to a single tip. These aren’t easy to find locally, but I have recently found “baby bell peppers” that are the perfect size for this. I also make these stuffed peppers with Anaheims, which are spicy. The authentic filling is made with feta, herbs and egg only, but I decided to introduce some quinoa or bulgur to stretch the filling and make the peppers more substantial.

Featured in: Five Fillings for Stuffed Peppers

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings as an hors d’oeuvre or 4 as a side dish

8small sweet peppers, either baby bell or Italian peppers, about 1 pound
1egg yolk
3ounces feta, crumbled (about ¾ cup)
½cup cooked quinoa or bulgur
2tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or mint
Freshly ground pepper
2tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 to 3tablespoons sunflower or grapeseed oil, as needed

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Roast the peppers over a flame or under the broiler until charred. Place in a bowl, cover tightly and allow to cool. Remove the skins and wipe the surface with paper towels.
Step 2
With the tip of a paring knife, make a lengthwise slit down the middle of each pepper and carefully pull out the seeds and membranes and remove the stems and seed pods at the top. Open the peppers up on your work surface.
Step 3
In a medium bowl beat together the egg yolk and the feta until amalgamated. Add the quinoa or the bulgur and the chopped herbs and stir together. Season with pepper (there’s plenty of salt in the feta). Place a spoonful of filling down the middle of each pepper and fold the sides in over the filling, overlapping the edges.
Step 4
Heat the oil over medium heat in a wide skillet. Place the flour on a plate. Lightly dredge the peppers in the flour. Fry the peppers gently until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Use tongs to turn them. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Tip

Advance preparation: You can roast the peppers and make the filling a day ahead. Keep in the refrigerator.

Ratings

5 out of 5

70 user ratings

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Comments

gigi2 years ago

These were delicious. A bit labor intensive, in particular peeling the skins off…. I wonder if it would be just as good with the skins on?

Lucy9 months ago

The cooking time should be multiplied by three. Labour-intensive, and difficult to stuff a flimsy baby pepper, after slitting it open and removing seeds and membranes. Tastes O.K., but not worth the effort.

gigi2 years ago

These were delicious. A bit labor intensive, in particular peeling the skins off…. I wonder if it would be just as good with the skins on?

Carchar3 years ago

These are phenomenally good!

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