Wolfgang Puck WPSSCO24 My Mother’s Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers With Tomato Sauce

FG_24LConvecOvenmanual 10/11/06 2:26 PM Page 31

My Mother’s Chicken

Stuffed Bell Peppers

with Tomato Sauce

6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 whole chicken legs (skinned & boned), cut into even chunks 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

1/2 pound mushrooms, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 whole egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon salt (plus extra as needed) 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

freshly ground white pepper to taste

2 cups long-grain white rice, cooked as directed

5 cups My Favorite Tomato Sauce, (See Recipe, p. 21)

6 medium green bell peppers fresh parsley (for garnish), minced

METHOD

1With a meat grinder, or food processor fitted with metal blade, coarsely grind the chicken. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.

2In a medium skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid given up by the mushrooms evaporates, 10 - 15 minutes. Set aside the mixture and let cool.

3Add the onion and mushrooms to the ground chicken. Add the garlic, egg, parsley, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, and white pepper and mix well. To test for taste, sauté a small amount in a little oil and, when it is done, taste it and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set the mixture aside and, when it is cool, stir in the cooked rice. Reserve.

4Prepare My favorite Tomato Sauce. Set it aside and keep warm.

5Place wire rack in convection oven in lowest setting. Turn dial to bake, set temperature to 350 degrees.

My Mother’s Chicken

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Tomato Sauce (cont'd.)

6Rinse the peppers under cold running water. Wipe them dry. Cut the top 1 inch from each pepper, keeping the stem in tact, and reserve the tops. With your fingers and, if necessary, with the tip of a small sharp knife or a teaspoon, remove the core and seeds from each pepper. Brush the peppers inside and out with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season their insides with salt and pepper.

7Divide the filling evenly among the peppers, filling them to the top. Place the lids back on top. In a baking dish just large enough to hold the peppers comfortably, arrange the stuffed peppers stem end up. Spoon the hot tomato sauce all around them. Bake in the convection oven until the peppers are tender, about 1 hour. With a serving spoon, transfer each pepper to a heated plate. Garnish with minced parsley.

Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, Live, Love, Eat! (Random House, 2002)

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