Seasonal Ontario Food

This Italian dish is usually served at room temperature, as an antipasto, but it is also delicious hot as a main course. You could throw some other things into it, if you liked. Anchovies are a common addition, believe it or not. Good quality Italian tuna must not be quite as salty as what I buy at Costco, although to be fair, once the other ingredients were in it was not as salty as I feared it would be, and it could have absorbed an anchovy or two, especially if it was served as an appetizer. Capers or chopped olives could be used instead - just a few of them. 

I made a double recipe, and with three of us eating it, there was enough left over for another generous serving. The exact quantity of peppers is hard to pin down - it will depend very much on their size and configuration. Use tiny ones for an appetizer and larger ones for a main dish. If you use large peppers such as Red Shepherd, use smaller specimens of them  - they can get large enough that just one could swallow up an entire batch of the filling. 

You could omit the cheese if you don't want it. If you do use it, it should be a somewhat mild and lower salt cheese - aged cheeses tend to have a lot, and I think would be a bit too much with the tuna. I used Friulano, which I really like - it has all the delightful boingy qualities of mozzarella, with a more interesting flavour. I also threw in a few leftover potatoes to fill up the gaps around the peppers; if you want to add potatoes to your pan they should be at least par-cooked to be done in the same amount of time as the peppers.

 

2 to 3 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

 

 

6 to 8 small apple peppers (such as Doe Hill)

OR 3 or 4 medium sized peppers (such as Bell or Cubanelle)

OR 2 larger peppers (such as Red Shepherd) 

Wash the peppers. Cut a slit lengthwise in each pepper, then down and around the stem. Remove the stem and any seeds, etc, from the core of the pepper, leaving a hollow shell. Be careful not to break them. 

Broil them under the broiler until slightly softened and blackened in spots. Turn to broil them evenly. Set them aside to cool while you make the filling, and turn the oven to 375°F.

1 tin (133+ g drained) chunk or solid tuna

1 slice stale bread

1 medium egg

1 small tomato (about 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped)

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 

the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

freshly ground black pepper to taste

75 grams (3 ounces) Friulano, mozzarella, ricotta or similar mild cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

 

Drain the tuna and put it in a small mixing bowl. Cut or tear the bread into coarse crumbs, and add them to the tuna. Break in the egg. Peel (if you like) and dice the tomato, and add it to the bowl. Wash, dry and mince the parsley, and add it. Season with pepper, and mix well. If the mixture does not seem moist, you may need to add a little water - just a spoonful. It should be moist, but not wet, and hold its shape. 

 

Grate or finely dice the cheese, and mix 2/3 of it into the stuffing. Divide the stuffing amongst the peppers, and lay them in a shallow baking pan that will hold them fairly snugly, and which has been greased with the olive oil. Divide the remaining cheese over the peppers, and cover the pan, with foil if it hasn't got a lid. Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F for 30 minutes, then remove the lid (or foil) and bake for a further 15 minutes. These can be served hot or at room temperature, as a main dish or, if you have stuffed a number of smaller peppers, as an antipasto or appetizer.  

Last year at this time I made Cauliflower and Pepper Sauté.