Peak Summer: Seafood Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Growing up, my mom always made stuffed peppers for family dinner: it was a weekly thing I always looked forward to. The recipe I’m sharing is a little twist on the classic stuffed pepper, focusing on seafood and a robust pepper that I love: the poblano. It is meaty and not too spicy, just the perfect amount of heat. This dish brings the familiarity of the stuffed pepper - a usual household family-time meal - up a notch with our great, easy-to-make cashew cream. I’ve gotten some great poblano peppers from local farms here in Pittsburgh, Tiny Seed Farm, Who Cooks For You Farm, and Clarion River Organics.

- Chef Jessica Lewis

Seafood Stuffed Poblanos

For cashew sauce:

1 cup cashews, soaked (10 hours or overnight)

1 cup crème fraîche

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp sherry

For pepper filling:

2/3 cup olive oil

2 shallots, minced

1 Granny Smith apple, small dice

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dried apricots, fine-chopped

1 cup cooked crabmeat

1 cup cooked octopus

1 cup cooked chopped shrimp

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

For the peppers:

4 to 6 poblano peppers, roasted and peeled

1 cup coconut oil (with high smoking point)

For garnish:

Orange segments and mint

Instructions

Soak Cashews overnight.

Blend together the ingredients for cashew sauce on low in a blender, until completely smooth and silky.

In a sauté pan on medium heat, add oil, shallots, apple, garlic, and apricots. Sauté until translucent (no browning). Add seafood in to heat and soften, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.

In a cast-iron pan over high heat or on the grill, cover the peppers in coconut oil and roast the until equally blistered, about 15 minutes. Once all skin is completely charred through in all spots, remove from heat and put in a container with a lid to steam for about 10 minutes.

Take the pepper from the container and remove some of the char - about 80% of it - being careful not to rip the peppers. Make a slit from top to bottom and remove pit and seeds. Do not rinse pepper in the sink, this removes the flavor!

Stuff the peppers with seafood mixture. Place on a plate, pour cashew sauce over it, and garnish with orange segments and mint.

STORY BY MAGGIE WEAVER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE/ FOOD STYLING BY VEDA SANKARAN / PROP STYLING BY KEITH RECKER / RECIPE BY CHEF JESSICA LEWIS / WALLPAPER: SERENDIB BY MANUEL CANOVAS, COURTESY OF COWTAN & TOUT

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