Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers

It's been 100 recipes, and I'm still alive.  And hopefully, you are too, and maybe even better off for checking in here from time to time.  So for this one, I'm not going to present anything too extreme, just something delicious, healthy, and fairly easy to make.  And for a change of pace, I didn't even use a recipe for this one - just threw some things together from memory in a way that I thought would work out well, and it turned out that it did.

Today we contemplate the stuffed pepper.  Who would ever think to take a large, cavernous vegetable, hollow it out, cram it full of goodness, and then roast it and treat it like an edible bowl?  Well, I don't know, but let's hope that he was given a thousand virgins and quite a few goats for his discovery.  You could do this with tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant or squash if you really knew what you were doing.  But as an easy start, let's focus on the most forgiving of all of these from a cooking and structural integrity standpoint - the pepper.  If you don't like bell peppers, then I have nothing for you.  But consider that you may only dislike green bell peppers, which are slightly less sweet, and consider giving this a try.

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Sausage and Rice
by me

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1/2 lb Italian sweet or hot sausage, removed from casings if present
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 green onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 c coarse breadcrumbs
• 2 oz firm aged cheese, such as Parmesan or Asiago, grated
• 1.5 c cooked brown (or white) rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• tomato sauce or aged balsamic vinegar, for plating
• 1 tbsp parsley, minced, for plating

The peppers loaf about lazily on the countertop, unaware of their fate.

Preheat your oven to 400 deg F.

Begin by halving the peppers lengthwise, removing the core and seeds, and cutting away as much of the white membrance as you can (this is bitter, and also takes up space).  Now, in a large saute pan over high heat, brown the sausage in 1 tbsp olive oil, breaking up with your spoon into small pieces.  When browned, remove from pan and drain on a paper towel, and saute zucchini, garlic, onion, celery, and green onion in the next 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Remove to a large bowl.

In the meantime, take a small frying pan and heat the last 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Toast the breadcrumbs if they're not already toasty, and set aside.

Now, the rest is fairly straightforward.  Take everything you've got except the peppers themselves and the breadcrumbs, and stir them together in a big bowl.  Taste, and season as needed with salt and pepper.  Try not to just stop here and eat the whole thing, because you will probably want to.  But we must forge ahead - now stuff this into the pepper halves, packing in the filling somewhat densely and mounding up slightly.  Don't get so crazy that it's spilling out, because next you have to sprinkle on the toasted breadcrumbs.

The filling, resting before an epic journey in a hollowed out pepper through the fires of Mt. Ofen.

The peppers, packed and ready to go.

In a reasonably sized glass baking dish, brush a few drops of olive oil onto the bottom and situate the pepper halves.  Toss in the oven for about 30 minutes, until peppers are soft and starting to brown at the edges, and bread crumbs are brown on top.

To serve, either place on a bed of homemade marinara sauce, or drizzle with balsamic vinegar, as I have done.  I tried this both ways and preferred the tomato sauce version, but both are going to impress people.  Sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve.

Exhausted from their journey, the peppers lie unsuspectingly before hungry predators.

At last, the stuffed pepper has come to its final resting place

Stuffed Apricot-Glazed Chicken Thighs

I've been sitting on this recipe for 10 years, and never wanted to make it because it looked complicated and time consuming.  Oh Emeril, why must you make food that looks delicious but has such a long ingredient list?  Plus, the last thing I wanted to do was de-bone a bunch of chicken quarters.  But when it was proposed that I just stuff the filling into regular bone-in chicken quarters, I gave it a shot.  And it was awesome.  Didn't hurt that I had help making the stuffing either, which was good enough that it could be eaten almost as its own meal.

The stuffed quarters, just before serving

Sausage and Rice-Stuffed Dark Chicken Quarters with Apricot Glaze
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced orange zest
• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons toasted almond slivers
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 8 boned (except for the knuckle or joint at the bottom of the drumstick) dark chicken quarters, the thigh and the drumstick all in 1 piece
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until it turns opaque, about 3 minutes. Stir in the raisins, almonds, parsley, thyme, cinnamon, and salt. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread on a baking sheet to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
 

Meanwhile, in a saucepan make the glaze by combining the jam, remaining 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, sugar, and orange juice. Whisk to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. You can test when this is done by dipping in a wooden spoon, holding it vertically, and running your finger across the glaze.  If it doesn't drip down across where you dragged your finger, it's thick enough.  If it's still runny, reduce it some more.  Set aside to cool.

The apricot jam before it became a glaze.

Stuff a good 3-4 tablespoons into each cavity and seal with a few skewers

Season the chicken legs lightly with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and divide the stuffing between the legs, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup each. Be careful not to tear the skin, or to leave stuffing hanging out on the baking sheet.  Pull the skin up around the filling and secure shut with a toothpick (I used trussing needles).

Because these were bone-in, I partially cooked them for a while, then applied the sugar glaze to prevent even more burning than I ended up with

If you went to the trouble to de-bone the chicken, you can apply the glaze and cook directly - the sugars won't burn for the short time that this is in the oven.  Coat with the apricot glaze and bake until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes, re-applying the glaze twice. If, however, you used bone-in chicken, you have to add about 20 minutes of cooking time to this.  So bake without the glaze for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and apply the glaze, then bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, re-applying the glaze as above.  Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Chicken Stuffed with Fontina, Artichokes, and Sundried Tomatoes

As part of my quest to clear out recipes in my "to-do" box, I picked up some Fontina cheese today to make this dish.  On my way home, I thought - stuffed chicken breast... that probably means I'll be standing around beating the fight out of these chickens to flatten them out, which won't really go too well with my shoulder injury.  But to my pleasant surprise, this prep method was quite painless, and didn't require use of a hammer.

This dish came together very quickly, and with the right tools, it's fast, easy, and succulent.  I didn't know what to expect of the Fontina cheese, which is kind of like a Gouda but much softer, and perhaps smelled a bit more ripe.  This pungency survived the cooking process, and added a nice tang to complement the sweet herb flavor of the basil, the tartness of the sun-dried tomatoes, and the mellow garlicky base of the artichokes.  And to top that off, the mix was crammed inside of one of the most juicy chicken breasts I may have ever cooked.  Not too shabby.

I couldn't believe how moist these came out, and how quickly they cooked given their size.  Huge fan of this cooking method now.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Fontina, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
from Bon Appétit, February 2008
 

• 1 6-ounce jar marinated artichokes, drained, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
• 1/4 cup (packed) drained, coarsely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh basil
• 2 5-ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

The setup

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix artichokes, cheese, tomatoes, and basil in medium bowl. Using small sharp knife and working with 1 chicken breast at a time, cut 2-inch-long slit horizontally into 1 side of chicken breast. Move knife back and forth in slit to form pocket. Divide 1 cup cheese mixture among chicken pockets (reserve remainder for frittata). Press edges to seal. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Make your filling by coarsely chopping the ingredients and tossing together loosely to combine.  Don't squeeze it too tightly, or you'll end up with a cheese log.

This was way too much fun - slice through the side of the chicken breast and make a pocket, like you're opening a pita.  Don't slice through the opposite side, you want only one narrow slit and a huge cavern into which you will cram the filling.

Now spoon that filling in there, but don't overstuff

Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat.  I vote cast iron, but stainless steel will work if that's what you've got.  Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes.  Turn the chicken over, and immediately transfer the skillet to the oven.  Bake until cooked through, about (note: about, not exactly) 10 minutes.

Note that the filling wasn't so tightly packed that it started escaping out the side.  You'll burn your cheese if you do that, and nobody like that.

Get a nice browned crust on one side, then flip and transfer to the oven.

How do you know when it's done?  Get out your digital thermometer, and test the center.  If it's not at 160 or higher, add another few minutes.  After 10 minutes, mine was at 130.  So I gave it another 5, and it was perfect.  If you want to be safe, bring it up to 170, but even that will start to dry it out too much.  Serve with a starch and some kind of green vegetable, but ideally nothing too powerful to drown out the flavors of this.

 

The finished dish, served over spinach with roasted potatoes

Roasted chestnut and sausage stuffing

Call it dressing, call it stuffing, call it whatever you want - it's all the same when you eat it.  And after years of making different stuffing recipes, I've come to appreciate the value in an easy one that tastes really good.  Unless, of course, you consider roasting chestnuts to be difficult.  Which you probably should.

This is the recipe we've used for the past three years running at Thanksgiving, because it doesn't involve sitting around chopping vegetables for 20 minutes before you even start the cooking.  Plus, we used pre-roasted chestnuts this year, which saved a ton of time and frustration.  Still, there's no experience quite like cursing at a chestnut that won't open correctly; chestnuts are like honey badgers - they're crazy, and they don't care about you or your priorities.  But home-roasted chestnuts can be quite delicious, so it's something to consider when you make this dish.

Here are some of the special tools you should have to make this stuffing:

1. Food processor.  You don't have to chop up vegetables for this recipe.  You just through your mire poix right in the processor and go to town.  So if you don't have a processor, the merits of this dish will be lost on you.
2. Electric bread knife.  You have to tear down a loaf of sourdough bread into cubes for this, and it's a PITA.  If you don't have an electric knife, you at least need a decent serrated bread knife.
3. Paring knife.  If you plan to roast your chestnuts, you need a good paring knife to score them without destroying them.

I found this recipe on Food Network's website after one too many failed stuffing attempts (oysters one year, wild rice another, I think curry found its way in once).  It's really good, and another one of those sides that's overly filling but which we can't live without.  Once nicely roasted, the stuffing gets crispy around the edges and highlights the earthy taste of the chestnuts, the pungent sausage, and the mildly tart kick from the bread, and makes for a really awesome combination of flavors.

Chestnut and Sausage Dressing

By Tyler Florence (unmodified)

• 1 medium carrot, peeled and rough chopped
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh sage
• 1 1/2 pounds loose sweet Italian sausage
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups cubed sourdough bread, crusts removed
• 1 pound roasted chestnuts
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg

The setup - note that we started with pre-roasted chestnuts this year.  No open fires for us.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 9" x 11" baking dish.  Seriously, butter it up - I forgot to do this once and the bottom got burnt, and it was no fun.  You only need a little, just smear a stick around and then get in the corners with a paper towel to distribute.

In a food processor, puree the carrot, onion, celery (the mire poix) and sage until you have a fine pulp.  Okay, I lied about the no chopping thing - you have to hack the vegetables into pieces small enough to fit in the processor, but that's it!  Cube the sourdough by first removing the crusts, then slicing into about 3/4" rounds, and then cubing that into 3/4" cubes.  Any bigger and the stuffing will come out dry.  Much smaller and it will be mushy.  A little variability in your cuts will help you get any combination of the above consistencies you want.  Roast the chestnuts by scoring an "X" in the convex side of the shells and throwing into a 425 F oven for 30 minutes, until the shells have split open.  Then peel them while they're still warm.  Consult the internet (http://bit.ly/vrwdOo) for further information.

The food processor option is much easier than chopping a bunch of vegetables

This is what the cubed bread should look like.  This would have been vastly expedited with an electric knife

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage in a little olive oil.  You want to brown this in bite-sized chunks, so throw it in the pan and then break it up with a spoon.  And like I said, you want to BROWN this.  Don't just "grey" your meat - let it get some color on there.  It's called the Maillard reaction, and it's a good thing.  To do this, get the meat broken up into the right sized pieces, then just let it sit for a couple of minutes.  Don't just stir the heck out of it until it's a uniform gross color - let the bottom brown by sitting on the hot pan until the amino acids in the meat start to do their thing, then stir a couple of times to get the other sides similarly browned.

Notice how there is actually some brown coloring on the meat?  You want that - it makes your food taste good.  Stop stirring, and just be patient.

Once you have a nice brown color and the fat has rendered (about 5 minutes), use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage and place in a large mixing bowl.  Add the vegetable pulp to the pan and saute until most of the moisture has evaporated.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add to a large mixing bowl along with the sausage, the bread cubes, and the chestnuts.

Mix together chicken stock, cream and egg.  Pour this wet mixture over the dressing mix. Season and fold everything together.  Now here's a tip - don't press on the stuffing when you put it in the roasting dish; in fact, don't even pour it.  Scoop it out delicately and try to pack into the dish as loosely as possible.  This will ensure that you get good browning and even cooking, and you don't end up with mushy stuffing at the end.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on the top (if it gets too brown before the 30 minutes is up, tent with foil).

Light and fluffy before baking, because it wasn't pressed into the pan.  It's like a big delicious cloud of awesomeness.

The finished stuffing, nicely browned and crispy in virtually every bite.

Serve with your favorite fowl, and enjoy!  I find that this doesn't really require any gravy to improve on the flavors, but that doesn't mean it's not still good with gravy.  Besides, what isn't?