How to make Jalapeño Poppers with Chef Michael Olson
These tasty little devils were devoured by the crew after we shot the piece on Snake Island (yeah, there were snakes) and will be a hit with your family and friends. You can use game sausage or fresh pork sausage from your local butcher. You may be surprised by your jalapenos as it is hard to tell whether or not you will get a blast of heat or be let down by “mockapenos”. The eggs, bread crumb and cheese hold the mix together nicely and you can try different kinds of cheese if you wish. Makes 24 pieces
Ingredients
12 fresh jalapeno peppers
1 lb sausage meat (game or pork)
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
1 lime, juiced
Method
Wash jalapeno peppers, split lengthwise and remove seeds and membrane with a teaspoon. You may want to wear gloves if your skin is sensitive to the peppers (you sissy).
Blend together the sausage meat, eggs, bread crumb and cheese. Fill each of the pepper halves with a tablespoon of the sausage mix, top up with any leftover mix.
Lay the stuffed peppers on a grill pan and cook in a 350 F oven or a medium hot grill with the lid down for 15-18 minutes or until the sausage meat is cooked through (160 F) and the peppers are tender.
Blend together the sour cream, cilantro and lime juice – season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with the peppers, hot off the grill.