Moroccan Stuffed Peppers

MOROCCAN STUFFED PEPPERS

You can substitute large, hollowed-out tomatoes for some of the peppers if
you like. Ground meat that is not too lean, such as meat ground from the
shoulder, will yield the juiciest results. I doubled the
sauce for a little extra to pour over rice
and to keep on hand in the freezer.



TOMATO SAUCE:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and grated fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FILLING:
6 medium bell peppers, preferably mixed colors
1 pound ground lamb
3/4 pound ground beef chuck
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups rice
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped mint
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup raisins or coarsely chopped dried apricots
1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Freshly ground black pepper



MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over moderate heat.
Add the onion and carrot and saute until soft. Add the garlic and thyme and
sauté briefly to release the garlic fragrance. Add the tomatoes with their
juice, crushing the tomatoes with your fingers as you add them. Add the
cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook,
stirring often, until thick and flavorful, about 30 minutes. Add a little
water if the sauce gets too thick and threatens to stick. Season with salt
and pepper and remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Pass the sauce
through a food mill or puree in a blender.

FOR THE FILLING: Cut across the top of each pepper, removing the top 1/2 inch; set the tops aside. With your fingers, pull out and discard the core, ribs and seeds.
In a bowl, combine the ground meats, egg, rice, pine nuts, cilantro, mint, garlic, raisins or apricots, salt, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon and several grinds of black
pepper. Work lightly with your hands, just to blend. Fry a small portion of
the meat and taste for seasoning.
Preheat the oven to 375º. Fill the peppers with the meat mixture. If you
have any extra meat mixture, shape it into small meatballs.
Spoon the tomato sauce into a baking dish just large enough to hold the
stuffed peppers. Add the peppers and the meatballs, if any. Spoon some of
the sauce over the peppers. If you like, put the tops of the peppers back
on. Cover the dish and bake until almost tender, about 35 minutes, then
uncover, spoon more sauce over the peppers, and cook until the peppers feel
tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 6