Winter Pulneni Chushki
Зимни пълнени чушки·(ZEEM-nee PUHL-neh-nee CHOOSH-kee)
Sunday Moussaka & Stuffed Comforts
In the agrarian villages of Bulgaria, fresh peppers vanished with the first frost. To survive, grandmothers dried sweet red peppers in the late summer sun. You could absolutely make this with fresh supermarket bells—modern Bulgarians do—but if you want that real, smoky, snowed-in Balkan nostalgia, hit the Hispanic aisle for dried California chiles. They are a dead ringer for authentic suhi chushki. Stuffed with pork, beef, and rice, sealed with a genius flour trick, and drowned in a tangy yogurt sauce tempered with the roasting juices, this is straight, unapologetic comfort.
Ingredients
- dried California or New Mexico chiles10
- sunflower oil2 tbsp
- yellow onion1 large
- carrot1 med
- ground pork1/2 lb
- ground beef1/2 lb
- medium-grain rice1/2 cup
- tomato paste1 tbsp
- dried summer savory1 tbsp
- sweet paprika1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- all-purpose flour3 tbsp
- plain whole milk yogurt1 cup
- eggs2 large
- all-purpose flour1 1/2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Rehydrate the dried chiles.
Place the dried peppers in a large heat-proof bowl and pour boiling water over them until completely submerged. Weigh them down with a plate and steep for 20 to 30 minutes until soft and pliable, then carefully drain the water, slice off the stem tops, and shake out the seeds.
- 02
Build the flavor base.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a large, deep skillet, heat the sunflower oil over medium heat, then add the diced onion and grated carrot and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- 03
Brown and heavily season the meat.
Add the pork and beef to the skillet, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon until it's no longer pink. Stir in the tomato paste, summer savory, sweet paprika, salt, and black pepper, letting the spices bloom in the hot fat for 30 seconds until highly fragrant.
- 04
Pre-swell the rice so it doesn't split the peppers.
Add the rinsed rice to the skillet and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the grains look slightly glossy. Pour in 1/2 cup of warm water, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently until the liquid is entirely absorbed.
- 05
Stuff and seal using the grandma flour trick.
Using a small spoon, gently fill each pepper with the meat and rice mixture, leaving a tiny bit of room at the top for the rice to finish expanding. Press the open, exposed meat end of each pepper directly into the shallow dish of all-purpose flour to coat it—this seals the pepper and stops the filling from washing out into the broth.
- 06
Bake in a shallow bath.
Arrange the stuffed peppers snugly in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour enough warm water into the bottom of the dish to come up about 1/2 inch, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes to allow the tops to slightly blister.
- 07
Whisk the yogurt base.
While the peppers finish their uncovered bake, vigorously whisk the yogurt, eggs, 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan off the heat until perfectly smooth.
- 08
Temper the sauce with the roasting juices.
When the peppers come out of the oven, tilt the baking dish and ladle out about 1 cup of the hot, savory broth. Slowly stream this hot broth into the yogurt mixture while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling, then stir continuously over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens into a rich gravy.
Notes
Using fresh or frozen bell peppers.
If you don't want to use dried chiles, you can use 6 medium fresh or frozen bell peppers. Skip the rehydration step, core them, and prick the skins 2 to 3 times with a fork so they don't burst in the oven.
Sourcing Chubritsa.
Summer savory (chubritsa) is the defining flavor of a Bulgarian kitchen. If you absolutely cannot find it, substitute 2 teaspoons of dried oregano mixed with 1 teaspoon of dried mint.