Frugal filled peppers, are they too posh for the south?

 

We are still currently in the depths of a chaotic winter. Will it ever end? I can’t believe how cold it has been recently, but to be fair I do feel the cold all the time. My brother-in-law always comments on how much colder it is in the North of the country than the south, he resides in the beautiful county of Lancashire, close to the sea and surrounded by verdant hills, delicious chip shops and fantastic seafood. My husband James is from Manchester and since married (17 years) he has always requested a few different dishes from his childhood with one of them being stewed cabbage and ribs.

 

This has raised a question in our house hold. Is this just a Northern dish or something that is consumed throughout the UK? In truth I always find my knowledge a little wayward as I was raised only on an Italian diet in an Italian household. He often talks about potato pie, pea’s pudding, and suet puddings, gravy on many a dish as well as a basket of bread on the family table for ‘mopping up’. I am finding this a little interesting in all honesty , these varied dishes topped with the new BBC 2 series ‘Back in time for tea’.

 

Is the North of the UK really that different to the south? Are we really posh? My children always say the north is a lot friendlier and I have to agree but is the food in this day and age really that different? I think it is and I just love that. I go on about the regional differences in Italy without thinking twice about the UK. There is most definitely still a North-South divide as well as a regional divide too.  A certain sense of pride with regards to local produce and a different way of making or putting a dish together.

 

Italy has a massive divide even still but something that brings both Italy and the UK together is the use and frugality of using up all food with no waste at all.  With that said and done I am sharing with you a cucina povera dish (peasant food) using up stale bread and limp peppers. Sliced Parma ham would be delicious chopped and added into the mix but not essential. When using up the contents of the fridge and larder ‘Anything goes’.

  • Filled peppers

2 Romano peppers, halved, deseeded

250g fresh breadcrumbs

50g freshly grated parmesan

1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Small bunch of oregano, thyme and basil, chopped

Salt and pepper to season

A little pinch of chili or a small fresh chilli

4 large eggs

 

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 190C.
  2. Choose a dish and slice your peppers lengthways, remove the white internal pith and seeds, retaining the green stem.
  3. Into a bowl you need to mix all of the ingredients listed above. If you enjoy a little spicy kick add a small freshly chopped chili or a tiny bit of dried chili.
  4. Fill the peppers using a teaspoon and place into your chosen ovenproof dish.
  5. Drizzle over some ‘Extra virgin olive oil’ to add a little added flavour. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and bake for around 30 minutes until puffy and golden in colour.

 

They will smell incredible. If you double the amount above they will keep in the fridge and are ideal as a side dish, squashed between some bread and also a wonderful accompaniment to fish or steak.