These Sliced Stuffed Peppers are a little bit fiddly to prepare but they do make pretty gluten-free bites to go with a drink.
You’ll need to begin with bullhorn peppers, an old Italian heirloom variety of sweet capsicum that produces slender fruits up to 20cm long.
In various recipes you’ll find them stuffed and roasted, but I liked the idea of the crunch of the fresh pepper combining with something creamy inside.
The vibrant curvy shapes they make on the plate are a bonus. And with basil leaves to sit them on, you can pick them up easily and down them in a bite.
I hope you enjoy them.
Jan
SLICED STUFFED PEPPERS
Makes around 50 pieces
6 ripe red bullhorn peppers (about 650gm)
3 sheets titanium-grade gelatine
200 gm mascarpone plus 2 extra tablespoons
200 gm ricotta
50 gm grated parmesan
60 gm pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 lemon, grated zest only
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 small green chilli, diced
Sea salt and black pepper
Bunch of basil leaves
Choose peppers that are not too wobbly – they’ll be easier to fill. Wash and dry them and remove the top third of each one (chop the offcuts into a salad later.) With a sharp knife or spoon remove any membranes and seeds remaining in the peppers.
Place the 200 gm of mascarpone and ricotta in a bowl and beat together until creamy. Add parmesan, pine nuts, lemon zest, fennel seeds and chilli, and season to taste.
Soak the sheets of gelatine in cold water for 4 minutes or until pliable.
Add the 2 extra tablespoons of mascarpone to a small saucepan to warm, or heat gently in a microwave.
Squeeze the water from the gelatine and stir through the warmed mascarpone to dissolve it. When smooth and creamy combine well with the cheese mixture.
Transfer the mousse to a piping bag and inject, or carefully spoon it, into the peppers, making sure it fills down to the end.
Wrap each pepper in plastic wrap to keep the mousse tightly packed at the end and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to serve scatter basil leaves over a platter. Cut each pepper through to make slices about 1cm thick and place each one on a basil leaf.