Last night we had one of our “Sisters and Misters” dinners—that is my friend Booth and I get together for dinner with our gents and our younger sisters. These affairs often involve a splash of wine, and last night was no exception. When I did a bottle count this morning, I wondered how on earth we could have gone through that much rosé? But I think the answer lies in these naughty little jalapeño poppers. So SPICY HOT, they demand to be washed down with a crisp and refreshing and low-alcohol glass (read: bottle) of rosé. The poppers are a new favorite and I can’t wait to fool around with different fillings all summer. My sister, Claire, recently got me a jalapeño roaster from Williams-Sonoma and last night was the maiden voyage, using some super spicy sausage in the filling. By the way, if you have one of those curved grapefruit knives, they are PERFECT for coring and deseeding the peppers. Enjoy with a very cold glass of palest pink rosé!
The Foodinista’s Jalapeño Poppers
12 large jalapeño peppers, cored and seeds removed
1 link Mexican chorizo or spicy Italian pork sausage, casing removed
4 ounces sharp white cheddar (pepper jack would work too)
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
Chopped cilantro, optional
Prepare grill for cooking over medium heat. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil till golden, about 5 minutes. Crumble sausage in small pieces into skillet and cook until done. Transfer onions and sausage to a bowl, mix with cheddar and cream cheese, adding cilantro if using. Stuff mixture into peppers. Place stuffed peppers into jalapeño roaster. Put roaster on grill over indirect heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, with lid down as much as possible.
