This is an easy one, at least in that it has only three ingredients: peppers, Feta cheese, and olive oil.
The Cannes Festival is a bit like a cruise on a ship that goes no where. There are all-you-can-eat buffets from morn till night, and alcohol flows freely. Fortunately people dance the calories off in the clubs each night, or they would look like pufferfish in their elegant clothes.
A light meal is always welcome after feeding frenzies. Often a simple slab of grilled fish or chicken breast is all you want when it’s warm and sunny. It’s nice to have something to dress things up and make the simple more appealing. I serve grilled meats and fish with a pasta salad, or roasted potato salad in an herbed vinaigrette. To add special effects for visual impact, I make deep-fried vegetable beignets or Indian onion Bhaji fritters.
Recently I remembered these cheese-stuffed grilled hot peppers. They are a great foil for simply-prepared meats and fishes. I first tasted them at a Middle Eastern restaurant – where they were offered as an alternative to sweet desserts. It works, especially if you have red wine to finish.
In the Cannes covered market I found long, hot peppers from North Africa. They can be mild, or wildly hot, so check first if you resist tongue-burning. The salty, creamy Feta cheese contrasts nicely with the pepper’s heat. Pick a pepper that is about 5-6 inches/12-15 cm long. Crumbled, not-very-dry goat cheese works as well, but I prefer the salty tang of Feta.
About a dozen long, thin peppers, as hot as you like
1/2 pound/250 g creamy Feta cheese
olive oil
Heat a stove-top ridged iron grill pan to medium high. When hot, brush the peppers with a little olive oil and place on the grill. Cook until the skin on one side is scorched and black, then turn and scorch the other side. It should take about four minutes on each side. Transfer the peppers to a paper bag to cool, so the steam within them will loosen the skins.
When cool enough to touch, rinse the peppers under cold water and peel away the skin. Pat them dry. Cut off the stem end and make a slit down the full length. Remove the seeds if you wish. They can be extra hot.
Crumble and mash the Feta cheese and spoon it onto one side of each opened pepper, folding over the other half to close. Press lightly. If the Feta cheese is too dry to hold together, mix in a little milk with a fork.
Place the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet brushed with oil. Brush more oil over the tops. You can make them ahead to this point. They can wait for you a day in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.
Heat the oven to 400 F/200 C. Bake the peppers until the cheese is bubbling. Let cool a bit, but serve slightly warm for best flavor.
Randall Price