Shared by Ron Levy-Arie
Shared by Ron Levy-Arie
Chushki Burek (Bulgarian Roasted Peppers Stuffed With Cheese)
Yield: 12 servingsTime: 1h 45min
Chushki Burek (Bulgarian Roasted Peppers Stuffed With Cheese)
Yield: 12 servingsTime: 1h 45minFamily Journey
Plovdiv, BulgariaTel Aviv and Izmir, Turkey
Tel Aviv
This recipe was shared by Ron Levy-Arie. Read more about his family in "The Bulgarian Grandmother With the Golden Touch" and try his recipes for handrajo (eggplant, onion, and tomato pastry), dunce pie (egg and cheese casserole), and almodrote (roasted eggplant and kashkaval pie).
Ron prefers to use chuska peppers (Bulgarian sweet peppers) which are long, red sweet peppers that have a short season and the most intense taste. They are much more delicate (perfect for roasted pepper salad). If you can’t find the chuska peppers, or it’s not the season, you can use an alternative small sweet pepper like the pimento or the red cubanelle. Regular red bell peppers will also work for this dish, just use the smallest that you can find.
Ingredients
- 12 small sweet red peppers (like chuska, pimento, or red cubanelle) or 6 red bell peppers
- 1 cup Bulgarian cheese, preferably sheep’s milk 20% fat
- ⅓ cup farmer’s cheese
- ½ cup kashkaval cheese, grated on the small holes of the box grater
- 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- All purpose flour for dusting
- canola oil, for frying
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 garlic clove
Preparation
Step 1
Roast the peppers: Place the whole peppers on a baking sheet and place in the oven under the broiler (with 2-3 inches of space between the peppers and the flame) until peppers are wrinkled and charred, turning them several times during roasting. Smaller more delicate peppers will take less time to roast - around 10-15 minutes total - while larger bell peppers could take up to 40 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven and cover with tin foil or plastic wrap while they cool. When completely cooled, peel as delicately as possible discarding the seeds and keeping the shape of the pepper for filling (smaller peppers should stay whole with one cut lengthwise, bell peppers can be halved). Refrain from using water during this process to preserve the flavor of the peppers.
Step 2
Place the Bulgarian cheese, farmer’s cheese, kashkaval, ricotta, and parmesan in a medium bowl and evenly combine.
Step 3
Beat the eggs with the salt and pepper in a shallow bowl, and prepare a small pile of the flour on a plate or a clean work surface.
Step 4
Gently take each pepper and coat it in flour on all sides, shaking off any excess (this should prevent the cheese from ‘escaping’ mid-frying).
Step 5
Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle of the pepper and very gently wrap the pepper around to close. Flour the outside of the pepper heavily again. Repeat with the remaining peppers.
Step 6
Fill a large pan with a ¼” of oil and warm over high heat. Add the butter and garlic clove.
Step 7
When sizzling, take one of the stuffed peppers and dip it in the egg wash, gently turning to coat on all sides, then carefully place it in the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining stuffed peppers being careful not to overcrowd the pan (plan on two batches).
Step 8
Turn the heat down to medium, the peppers should sizzle and form small bubbles around them. Turn the peppers gently after 2 minutes, then again after 2 more minutes. After another 2 minutes (fried on 3 sides for a total of 6 minutes), carefully remove them from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
Step 9
Serve immediately.
