Food

Tony Tantillo: Italian Frying Peppers

(CBS) Well today's tip of the week is Italian peppers, one of my favorites of all peppers. I may be a little bit biased because I'm Italian, but these peppers in sandwiches, or just roasted, or just thrown on the grill with olive oil are fantastic. They're great in so many different recipes, these Italian peppers.

At one time they were hard to find. A few ethnic markets like Italian markets would have them, but now these Italian peppers are available everywhere you buy produce, and that's a good thing all the way around.

When you buy them, mint green like this all the way around. The medium sized ones are the best, not too big and not too small. You want to check the crown to make sure it's free from any decay or shriveling, and the stem has to be attached and green .

When you bring the Italian peppers home, simply just store them in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days.

The best way to enjoy them is with olive oil, salt, and pepper right on the grill; turn them around till they get nice and charred. Aw…are they good!

You can peel off the skin, but I don't like to; I like the whole thing just like it is with some olive oil.

STUFFED ITALIAN FRYING PEPPERS

1 ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
2 – 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
½ tsp each oregano and basil (fresh is best - if using dry, reduce amount to ¼ tsp)
2-3 cloves garlic finely minced
Pinch of rubbed sage
3-4 anchovies (or to taste)
1 green onion or shallot, minced (optional)
Italian frying peppers with stems removed, seeded, and cored

1. Sauté garlic and green onion or a minced shallot, if using, in olive oil till very lightly browned (A teaspoon of butter may also be added to speed the browning along.) Mash the anchovies using a fork, stirring them into the olive oil.

2. Add parsley and other herbs, heat for 2 minutes. Add breadcrumbs, and then quickly mix in an egg, which has been beaten (using a fork) with a few tablespoons warm water. Another teaspoon of olive oil may be added, if needed, for a smooth mixture.

3. Add cheese and mix well; stir in enough warm water to make a mix that can be pressed into the center of the peppers that have had their stems removed, and have been seeded and cored.

4. Stuff and sauté the peppers in a skillet with ¼ " good olive oil with 3-5 peeled whole cloves garlic; turn the garlic to prevent browning. The garlic should just take on a lightly toasted color and will become soft, at which point it can be mashed into the oil and removed (save for spreading this on Italian bread or Brochette.)

5. The peppers should begin to blacken/brown on one side; turn them several times to distribute the coloring, keeping them always well coated in olive oil. When they appear to be somewhat tender and have streaks of browning, cover pan for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Serve right away, sprinkled with coarse kosher or sea salt.

Anchovy-stuffed peppers are even better on the grill, where grill marks will provide added appeal and color for an appetizing entree. Be sure to brush frequently with garlic infused olive oil.

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