SWEET PEPPER SHIRRED EGGS

Prep time: 8 minutes
Cook time: 20 to 30 minutes
Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed pepper) 

Here’s a fun and pretty idea for treating Mom on Mother’s Day. In this recipe, colorful bell peppers are a delicious edible vessel, holding eggs that gently cook to creamy perfection on the grill. For subtle smoke flavor, leave out the wood chunk—but for bolder flavor, toss one on. When shopping for bell peppers, look for four-sided ones, which stand upright better than three-sided ones. Also note that once cooked, orange and yellow bell peppers look identical in color (that’s something we learned in testing). Try serving with grilled bread soldiers to dunk into the eggs.

INGREDIENTS:  

Fire & Flavor Hardwood Lump Charcoal

1 Fire & Flavor Smoking Chunk (any variety, optional)

4          medium bell peppers (about 6 ounces each)

1/4       teaspoon kosher salt

8          large eggs

4          tablespoons heavy cream

4          teaspoons finely grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese

Chopped chives (optional)

Grilled bread strips for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect heat, using Fire & Flavor Hardwood Lump Charcoal to build a fire on one side of grill and leaving the other side with no heat. Add 1 smoking chunk, if desired. Maintain heat at about 400°F.

2. Cut top off of each bell pepper, leaving bottom intact and about 2 1/2 inches tall. Using a spoon, carefully scrape out membranes, making sure not to cut through pepper. Reserve pepper tops for another use (you can chop or slice them for stir-fries, hash, soups, or fried rice). Place peppers, cut side down, on grill grate on unheated side of grill. Cover and grill until peppers are crisp-tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Remove peppers from grill and arrange on a work surface cut-side up. Sprinkle insides of peppers with salt. Crack 1 egg into each of 2 ramekins. Pour eggs simultaneously into 1 pepper (this helps them sit side-by-side instead of on top of each other). Repeat with remaining eggs and peppers. Spoon 1 tablespoon cream over top of eggs in each pepper; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon cheese.

4. Arrange peppers on unheated side of grill. Cover and grill until eggs are desired degree of doneness, about 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with chives and serve with grilled bread, if desired.