RECIPE

Sheep’s Cheese Ricotta Pepper Poppers

French Country Cooking with Edward Delling-Williams

Servings: 12

Author: Chef Edward Delling-Williams

Chef’s Note: Start this at least one day before serving. I love to eat these on their own or with spicy mayonnaise, but you can eat them any way you want! You are governor of this domain.

 

Ingredients:

• 4 ¼ cups fresh sheep’s milk
• 12 jalapeño peppers
• 5 ½ oz cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup flour
• 2 lemons, zest and juice
• 2 cups canola or vegetable oil
• salt

 

Instructions:

1. To make the ricotta, put your sheep’s milk into a large saucepan over medium heat and bring the temperature up to about 185°F (using an instant-read thermometer to check regularly). Then, stir in the lemon juice and leave it for about an hour to let the milk curdle. Strain off the liquid and season the curds with lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Leave in the fridge overnight.

2. Take your peppers and (with gloves on) cut them in half and deseed them.

3. Mixing very well in a stand mixer (if you have one), combine the cream cheese and sheep’s cheese ricotta.

4. Spoon the mixture into the halves of the jalapeños. Once done, pop in the freezer for about an hour just to firm up to make the next step easier.

5. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and place the flour and breadcrumbs in separate small bowls next to it.

6. One at a time, dip the poppers into the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Once finished, you can either cook these immediately, store them for a max of 2 days in the fridge, or freeze them and cook them from frozen next time you want a snack.

7. To cook, heat the oil to 350°F and pop them in and cook until golden brown (or darker if you like it that way). Serve with spicy mayonnaise.