Do the Dew: Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

What are those crazy little red peppers in the pickle asile!?!?  

The Peppadew is a type of sweet piquante pepper from South Africa, and the reason you may not be familiar with it is because it was discovered in 1993. The pepper just turned 18 and was slowly introduced to the American marketplace so don't feel too silly if you haven't been introduced.  But now that it's legal, it's time to get to know this kid! 

The Peppadew is a relative of the Aji Amarillo Chili found in South America and is most commonly associated with Peruvian cooking. The Peppadew, like it’s cousin, is a mild chili pepper that is pickled in a tangy vinegar brine.  The pepper is almost shockingly sweet followed quickly by a kick of heat that makes your lips pucker at its crisp pungent goodness.

The Peppadew was once only available at specialty food stores but today it’s finding it’s way onto the shelves of many chain grocery stores.  This is certainly a good thing because once you have a MiddleBar “Dew” you’re going to want them…often.

Because of it's age and previous unavailability, many people are not familiar with the pepper so this dish always starts a conversation. (A conversation that usually comes with a request for a recipe) And the best thing about this recipe, is that it’s remarkably simple!  I mean super simple.  It’s SO easy sometimes I’m embarrassed to admit how easy it is, because you would never know it from the taste. 

MiddleBar Stuffed Dews

Ingredients:

1 Jar of Peppadew Sweet Piquante Peppers

¼ cup goat cheese

4 oz cream cheese

2 tablespoons of Peppadew juice poured directly from the jar

¼ cup chopped chives

Mix well and pipe into peppers
Chill in refrigerator and serve 

Notes on Execution:

The Peppadews are seedless so just dry them on a paper towel (reserving some of the liquid for the filling mixture). You can mix the cheese filling with a spoon if you do not have an electric mixer. As long as you whip it well, it will make NO difference in taste and presentation and cut down on the amount of dishes that you’ll have to do. Also if you do not have a pastry bag for piping, you can cut a small hole in the corner of a regular plastic bag and use that as a piping tool.  When placing the peppers on a serving tray it helps to pipe a very small amount of the leftover filling mixture onto the plate to act as "glue" for your pepper to stay in place.

The flavor and mild spice of the Peppadew is well matched with the creamy coolness of the soft cheeses. Perfect to pop in your mouth and these guys go well with red wines or a craft wheat beer.  The Peppadew is perfect for any occasion so whether it’s watching the game or hosting a fancy dinner party the Peppadew is a great addition to your recipe arsenal. 

Piquante Yall!

P.S. Toss that blue cheese stuffed olive out of your Martini and pop in a stuffed Peppadew!!