By Nathan Fong
Almost every culture has a dish, whether savoury or sweet, that is something stuffed with something else. Here we have a traditional Sicilian dish of stuffed sweet bell peppers filled with a savoury mix of rice and spicy chorizo, drizzled with a simple tomato sauce and baked until the peppers are delicate and tender. Fresh figs filled with chopped walnuts and sublime Stilton cheese served over a simple dressed salad make a wonderful Autumn appetizer. Herb-infused ricotta cheese tossed with fresh shrimp, crab and scallops stuffed into pasta shells is a perfect main course. And lastly, offer a large fresh shiitake mushroom cap, stuffed with scallop and shrimp mousse and covered with Japanese panko breadcrumbs, lightly fried and drizzled with a teriyaki sauce. So get stuffing and make an elegant lunch course or appetizer anytime!
Try these recipes for delicious and fall-appropriate stuffed entrées (click on the recipe name):
Sicilian Stuffed Peppers with Rice and Chorizo
Pair with your choice of Gray Monk Unwooded Chardonnay or Beronia Rioja Reserva.
Panko-Crusted Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms
Pair with your choice of Kim Crawford Pinot Noir or Hakutsuru Junmai Ginjo Sake.
Conchiglioni Stuffed with Ricotta and Seafood
Pair with your choice of Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc or J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay
Fresh Figs Stuffed with Stilton, Walnuts and Prosciutto
Pair with your choice of Fonseca Bin No 27 Reserve Port or Quails' Gate Chenin Blanc.
