Sweet and Spicy Stuffed Peppers
Level: Intermediate
Servings: Makes about 50 canaps
Nutrition Information (per serving 1 of 50 canaps): Calories: 82; Total Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Carbohydrates: 3g; Dietary Fiber: 0g; Sugar: 2g; Protein: 1g; Cholesterol: 10mg; Sodium: 77mg
Time: 1 hour (Preparation: 30 minutes; Cooking: 30 minutes)
Ingredients
Plantain chips:
- Corn oil (for frying)
- 1 green, unripe plantain
- Fine salt
Stuffed peppers:
- 50 small red sweet piquante peppers (preserved), about 1 (12-ounce) package (suggested: Peppadew), tops trimmed
- 1 lb. cream cheese, brought to room temperature
- 1/2 cup green olives with jalapeo, drained and finely chopped
- 1 medium mango, firm and ripe
- Zest of 1 lime
- Thinly sliced chives or petite cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
Plantain chips
- Pour about 2 inches of corn oil into a broad, heavy-based pan and heat over medium until a deep-frying thermometer reads 360F.
- Line a large sheet pan with paper towels. Peel the plantain and slice into approximately 50 thin, even rounds using a sharp knife or mandoline.
- Fry the slices in batches until crisp and pale golden, about 24 minutes per batch; lower the heat if they brown too quickly.
- Drain the chips on the prepared pan and season immediately with fine salt. Chips can be made up to one day ahead and stored in an airtight tin at room temperature.
Peppers
- Place the preserved peppers on paper towels to drain excess moisture.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the finely chopped green olives until smooth; transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip.
- Dice the mango into tiny cubes and toss with the lime zest; set aside.
- To assemble, pipe a small dollop of cream cheese onto each plantain chip, top with a pepper half (cut side up) and press gently to adhere.
- Pipe more cream cheese into each pepper half, filling it partway, then add a small spoonful (about 1/81/4 teaspoon) of the mango mixture.
- Garnish each canap with a sliver of chive or a tiny cilantro leaf and serve.
Cook Mode: For convenience, you can enable Cook Mode to keep your device awake while preparing these canaps.
