Lamb & Feta Stuffed Peppers

Αθήνα, σ 'αγαπώ!  

On my last night in Athens, Greece, I visited Athinaikon, an adorable little taverna in the Omonia district.  The Lonely Planet description didn't do justice to it (and neither did a few of the other reviews I've seen): the waitstaff were amazingly friendly, and the food was delicious!  In fact, my waiter even sent me home with paper place mats featuring the restaurant in the 1930s: "souvenirs to take!"  (Of course, I had to use one of these in my photo!)

I've modeled the stuffing inside these peppers after Athinaikon's delicious lamb and pork sausage plate.  (In business since 1932, this taverna specializes in mezedes, the Greek version of tapas.)  My recipe features a roasted red pepper filled with ground lamb, pork, olives, feta, and a few other flavors of the Mediterranean.  I've finished it off with a tzatziki sauce and garnished the plate with cucumber rounds.

Athens is beautiful and gritty: it's filled with grimy sidewalks and traffic-filled streets that call me back to New York, as well as ancient ruins and antiques markets that turn the city into a glorious palimpsest.  For Athens, I'm directing you to Bright Eyes' "The City Has Sex."

Peppers:

--1 lb. ground lamb (I always buy ground meat from Whole Foods--it's often just better, but it's also one of the only places where I can find lamb)

--1 lb. ground pork

--4 large red bell peppers

--3 large eggs

--1/4 c. kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

--2 tbsp. capers, chopped

--1 tsp. red pepper flakes

--1 clove garlic, minced

--1 tbsp. salt, or to taste

-- 1 tbsp. pepper, or to taste

--1 tbsp. fresh thyme 

--1 tsp. paprika

--1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

--1 c. crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Be careful not to over-mix: the meat will become tough.  Mix just until all ingredients are folded in.

Remove the tops of the red peppers.  Slice out the ribs and remove all seeds.  If the peppers won't stand up on their own, slice the bottom of each ever-so-slightly so that they'll stand up in your baking dish.  Spoon the meat mixture into each pepper so that there is a little mountain of filling coming out of the pepper, and place in a 13 x 9" baking dish.  Add about 1/8" of water to the bottom of the pan.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.  After 1 hour, remove foil and continue to bake for approximately 30 minutes more, or until the internal temperature of the meat has reached 160 degrees F.  While these are cooling, start on your yogurt sauce:

Tzatziki sauce:

--1 c. Greek yogurt

--1/2 cucumber, chopped into small pieces

--1 tbsp. salt, or to taste

--1 tbsp. pepper, or to taste

--1 clove garlic, minced

--2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

--2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

--a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely

Mix ingredients and chill until ready to serve. Drizzle (or put heaping spoonfuls) onto each pepper, and garnish with a few cucumber slices.