Bell peppers filled with ground lamb, rosemary and pine nuts, reflecting Australia's love of lamb and Mediterranean flavors.
Lamb is one of Australia's most iconic proteins, and this stuffed pepper dish leans into that with a filling built from ground lamb seasoned generously with rosemary and garlic, echoing the classic Australian pairing of roast lamb with rosemary found at Sunday dinners across the country. Toasted pine nuts and a small amount of rice round out the filling, adding texture and helping it hold together once baked. Browning the lamb well before it goes into the peppers is important, since ground lamb can release a fair amount of fat as it cooks, and draining some of that off keeps the finished filling from becoming greasy inside the pepper. Fresh rosemary, chopped finely rather than left in large sprigs, distributes its piney, aromatic flavor evenly through the meat rather than concentrating in just a few bites. Baked until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, these stuffed peppers bring a distinctly Australian, Mediterranean-leaning flavor profile to a format found in home kitchens worldwide, finished with a simple tomato sauce that keeps the peppers moist as they bake.
Serves 4
Blanch pepper halves or whole cored peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes to soften slightly. Drain and set in a baking dish.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, add garlic and cook 1 minute, then add ground lamb and brown, breaking it up, about 8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
Stir in rice, pine nuts, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, mixing until evenly combined.
Chop the rosemary finely rather than leaving it in large pieces -- fine pieces distribute its strong, piney flavor evenly instead of concentrating in a few overwhelming bites.
Mix crushed tomatoes with remaining salt and pour around the peppers in the baking dish.
Pack the lamb filling into each pepper, cover with foil, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes.
Uncover, top with feta if using, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until the peppers are tender and lightly golden.
Serve hot, spooning the tomato sauce over each pepper.
Drain excess fat from the browned lamb before mixing in the other filling ingredients -- lamb releases more fat than beef and can make the filling greasy if left in.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for a couple minutes until golden -- untoasted pine nuts taste noticeably blander.
Blanch the peppers before stuffing so they cook through evenly without the filling drying out in the oven.
Beef version: substitute ground beef for lamb if you prefer a milder flavor.
Add currants: a small handful of currants stirred into the filling adds a touch of sweetness that pairs well with the rosemary and lamb.
Mint yogurt sauce: serve with a side of mint yogurt sauce instead of feta for a lighter, tangier finish.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven until warmed through, or in the microwave for individual portions.
Lamb holds a central place in Australian cooking, historically tied to the country's sheep farming industry, and the pairing of lamb with rosemary and garlic reflects both British culinary heritage and the Mediterranean influences that have shaped modern Australian food.
Yes, ground beef works well as a substitute, though the rosemary and garlic seasoning is particularly well suited to lamb's richer, slightly gamey flavor.
Blanching them briefly before stuffing helps, and keeping the dish covered for most of the baking time traps steam that softens them further -- give them a few extra minutes covered if needed.
Yes, cook the lamb filling up to two days ahead and refrigerate; stuff and bake the peppers when you're ready to serve, adding a few extra minutes since the filling will start cold.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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