Christmas Peppers

Recipe courtesy of Lou Palma - straight from Sant’ Agata via Montclair! 

There are no quantities in this recipe. But because there’s no meat or eggs, you can taste until you’ve got the mixture to you’re liking. According to Lou, "you’re going for the right color."

Ingredients:

Stuffed Christmas Peppers
Cheese peppers, brined in vinegar
Old Italian bread, soaked and drained
Cured black olives, pitted
Capers, rinsed and chopped
Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, grated
Salt & Pepper to taste
Vinegar peppers, chopped

Method:

Pickle cheese peppers in distilled vinegar and salt mixture (see video for further instruction) or purchase pickled cheese peppers. Mix all ingredients and stuff peppers. Place one fillet of anchovy (optional) into each pepper. Bring mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil to frying temperature and place peppers face down into oil and brown. Turn and cook bottom. Place on paper towel, chill and serve at room temperature.

Note: The peppers used in the recipe are called Cheese Peppers due to their resemblance to a wheel of cheese. Cheese Peppers are available at Corrado’s and other specialty shops from late summer through the end of Fall.