What a fun name for a pepper! Peppadew…. A local restaurant serves non-stuffed cornmeal crusted peppadews on the side of their salads to add a crunchy kick.
I wanted to combine the mild pepper with a jalapeno popper type-idea for Peppadew Poppers!
Sweet peppadew peppers stuffed with tangy goat cheese, tossed in cornmeal and then lightly fried. Dip in a chipotle aioli, green goddess or honey mustard sauce.
I experimented with multiple cheeses and breading types, but this one offers the most flavor with a unique texture. You can also use a flavored goat cheese, like garlic and herb or sun dried tomato.
The shell adds a crisp layer to the juicy pepper and creamy goat cheese filling. Serve as an appetizer, on the side of a salad or on the side of a pizza.
Peppadews can be found already pitted and stored in oil in the Olive Bar section of your grocery store or jarred in the Italian food section.
One 14 ounce bottle typically has about 20 peppadews. Plan on a few being torn or unusable. Just set those aside for a soup, salad or sauce.
I like to serve my peppadews with these dipping sauce:
Tools for making Peppadew Poppers:
Heavy Bottom Frying Pan
– this will be one of your most used kitchen tools. Having something that is heavy bottom will distribute heat better and prevent burning whether you are using an electric or gas range.
Peppadew Popper Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 peppadews
- 4 tablespoons goat cheese softened
- 1 cup flour
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Egg White beaten
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place all peppadews on paper towels upside down to allow insides to drain. The outside can remain damp so the breading can stick.
- Using a small cheese knife or your fingers, fill each peppadew with goat cheese. Peppers will be different sizes, so the amounts will vary. Do not fill to the top, leave a little bit of room for cheese expansion (you don’t want your poppers to literally POP).
- You will be using three small bowls. In bowl #1- place flour, generously seasoned with salt and pepper. In bowl #2- egg white In bowl #3- cornmeal.
- Dredge peppadews through each bowl, 1-3. If peppadews are too dry to hold the flour, mist lightly with water from a spray bottle. At this point you can freeze them or fry immediately.
- When you are ready to make, heat vegetable oil in a heavy medium size saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches of 5, place peppadews into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until exterior is lightly browned and crispy.
- Place on a plate or serving tray lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil. If you are making a large quantity you can place these on paper towels on a baking sheet in a warm oven so they all stay warm until serving.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
I love stuffed peppadews and make them often. This is the first attempt breading and frying the cust came right off the peppers after frying. They were delicious but coating only stayed in the opening. What did I do wrong?
Hi Fran, I’m sorry to hear that! Were the peppers super dry before you floured them? Sometimes it doesn’t stick as well if they are really wet.
Oh, that looks SOOOOO good. Put that on the list for when we visit! Mom