Stuffed Bell Pepper with Saffron Rice, Lentils, Shrimp and Bacon
Stuffed bell peppers are one of the most beautiful ways of presenting a simple, savory entrée. Many fruits and vegetables are suitable for use as serving vessels, as are some shellfish.
Bell peppers come in a variety of colors, from the common green to reds, yellows, orange and purple. All of these are sweet varieties of the indigenous chiles of Mexico, Central and South America. When Christopher Columbus took these back to Spain in 1493, he named them pimientos, which is Spanish for pepper. Black peppercorns were already highly prized in Europe, and the name was extended to anything with hot and pungent characteristics.
One of the great things about making stuffed peppers is the ability to recycle leftovers and/or unused items in your refrigerator or pantry and present them at the table with a fresh new look. The possibilities for stuffing are almost limitless, from vegan and vegetarian all the way to serious carnivore. How about kid-friendly mac and cheese or teach your kids to make their own thick sloppy joe mixture as a stuffing? They will enjoy playing with these colorful and edible packages.
Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Saffron Rice, Lentils, Shrimp and Bacon
I had everything on hand except the bell peppers and the shrimp. I wonder if I would have included the tomatoes if there weren’t some left on the counter top from an earlier appetizer. This easily converts to a vegetarian dish.
- 6 Bell peppers, all similar sized with stems attached. Look for attractive ones with smooth skins
- ¾ cup (180 ml.) basmati rice
- ¾ cup (180 ml.) French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml.) chopped shallots
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml.) finely minced celery
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml.) finely minced carrot
- 6 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped
- 6 strips bacon
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml.) finely chopped scallion
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml.) tomato, seeded and chopped
- Generous pinch of saffron
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml.) vermouth
- 1½ cups (360 ml.) chicken stock
- 1½ cups (360 ml.) dry white wine
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Carefully remove the stem end of each pepper in an attractive way for later presentation. Using a spoon, remove all the seeds and membranes and discard.
- Crush the saffron in a small bowl and cover with the vermouth.
- Fry the bacon until crisp then remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool then break into small pieces.
- Heat some olive oil in a heavy pan large enough to hold all ingredients.
- Sauté the shallots until soft then add the carrots and celery and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the rice and lentils and stir all together.
- Add the vermouth and saffron and stir well.
- Add the stock and white wine and bring to a boil.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Lower heat, cover and simmer until rice and lentils are tender, about 35 - 45 minutes.
- Cool slightly then add in the bacon, shrimp, tomatoes and scallions.
- Stuff the peppers with this mixture, cover with the pepper tops and place in an oiled baking dish.
- Add enough hot water to the baking dish to come up about 1 inch.
- Bake 35-45 minutes or until middle of peppers reaches 150ºF.
Serve immediately with a salad and some crisp white wine. Stuffed peppers store and reheat well.
Bon appétit
— Charles
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PDFCategory: Vegetable
About the Author (Author Profile)
Music, food and photography are at the center of Charles’ life. He performed with the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Opera and was assistant principal bassoonist with the Fort Worth Symphony for more than 20 years. When Charles and Victor moved to Baltimore, Charles created Lone Star Personal Chef and Catering Service and taught cooking classes at Williams-Sonoma. Now in Salem, Charles is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Mountain West Real Estate, taught cooking classes for children at the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village, and owns and operates Charles Price Photography. Charles and Vic enjoy entertaining and frequently host dinners as fundraisers for local non-profits and charities
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Ciao! And thanks for the reminder to use peppers as vessels; I haven’t in awhile and its overdue!
I used to do a Shrimp and Feta stuffed pepper. It doesn’t have to be ground beef.
Janelle - How about some stuffed tomatoes, your specialty!
Ed - Right on, almost endless possibilities for stuffing peppers.
That looks really nice! I like to try this recipe this weekend.