Speca me gjizë

Ingredients

Peppers

• 8long sweet red or green peppers, about 900 g
• 3 tbspolive oil, for rubbing
• 1 tspfine salt

Filling

• 400 gfresh gjizë curd
• 150 gfeta, crumbled
• 1large egg
• 3spring onions, finely sliced
• 1small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tbspdried mint
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspolive oil

To finish

• 60 mlolive oil
• 1 tbspwhite wine vinegar
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• kos yoghurt and warm bread, to serve

Directions

1. Char the peppers whole, either directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill, turning every 2 minutes for about 10 minutes, until the skins blister and blacken in patches all over.
2. Seal them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes so the steam loosens the skins, then rub most of the blackened skin away with your fingers. Do not rinse them under the tap or you wash off the smoke.
3. Slit each pepper down one side and lift out the seed core, keeping the stem and the shape intact.
4. Mash the gjizë with the feta, egg, spring onion, parsley, dried mint, pepper and the 2 tablespoons of oil to a thick, coarse paste. Do not add salt until you have tasted; the feta usually carries enough.
5. Fill each pepper through the slit with a small spoon, pressing the filling to the tip, and close the slit over. Do not overfill or the curd bursts out as it heats.
6. Lay them slit side up in an oiled baking dish, packed snugly in a single layer so they hold each other closed.
7. Whisk the finishing oil, vinegar and paprika together and spoon it over, then bake at 190°C (375°F) fan for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is puffed and set and the pepper skins are wrinkled and lightly browned at the edges.
8. Rest 10 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature with the pan juices poured over, kos alongside and bread to mop.

Technique

• The egg is a binder, not a leavener. Without it the fresh curd weeps in the oven and the filling collapses into liquid.
• Gjizë is unsalted and mild, which is why the feta is there. If your curd is already salted, halve the feta and taste before adding anything else.
• In Korça and the southeast this is also made flat, as a baked dish of split peppers layered with curd, closer to a gratin than a stuffed vegetable.

Substitutions

• No gjizë: drained ricotta or a well-drained cottage cheese does the job, though both are looser and need an extra tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
• Bell peppers work if long sweet peppers are unavailable; halve them, roast cut side down first, and add 10 minutes to the bake.

Variations

• The raw summer version simply mashes gjizë with olive oil, garlic and chopped roasted peppers as a spread.
• Some cooks pour 200 ml of tomato passata around the peppers before baking, which turns it into a light supper dish.

History

A southern Albanian dish combining the summer pepper crop with the curd left over from cheesemaking.

Frequently asked questions

What is Speca me gjizë?

Speca me gjizë is a salad & side from Albania: peppers baked or stuffed with fresh curd cheese and herbs. A southern Albanian dish combining the summer pepper crop with the curd left over from cheesemaking.

How long does Speca me gjizë take to make?

Speca me gjizë takes 25 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 as a side, 4 as a light main. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Speca me gjizë?

Yes, within limits. No gjizë: drained ricotta or a well-drained cottage cheese does the job, though both are looser and need an extra tablespoon of breadcrumbs. Bell peppers work if long sweet peppers are unavailable; halve them, roast cut side down first, and add 10 minutes to the bake.

What is the most important thing to get right in Speca me gjizë?

Seal them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes so the steam loosens the skins, then rub most of the blackened skin away with your fingers. Do not rinse them under the tap or you wash off the smoke.