Romano Pepper Schnitzels

When I saw Ottolenghi’s photo of these chile pepper schnitzels in his book Flavor, I knew I’d be making them. Or, attempting to make them. There are some fiddly steps, but I couldn’t wait to taste these! And how beautiful are they?!!

Turns out, once I googled, Romano peppers are only available in European markets. Hopefully Ottolenghi will not think poorly of my substitution. I purchased 5 pounds of fresh red Hatch chile peppers online here, at the Hatch Chile Store. Only 12 peppers are required for this recipe, so I roasted and froze the remaining chiles for salsa-making in the future. If you notice a few of the chile peppers are a little wrinkly, it’s because unfortunately I had to wait some days before making the schnitzels. Fresh peppers should be smooth and shiny.

The Marie Rose sauce is a dip for the schnitzels. It’s a British condiment that I’d never heard of, so I was equally excited to make it. According to the recipe reviewers online, it was a highlight of this whole recipe. If you don’t want to follow the sauce recipe, it looks like it’s a simple mix of mayo, ketchup, a bit of Worcestershire sauce and some cayenne.

One ingredient I purchased months ago in anticipation of making these schnitzels, is a makrut, or kaffir lime plant. It’s grown quite well inside a sunny room in the house. Oddly enough, the leaves smell like an herbal mosquito repellent.

Romano Pepper Schnitzels served with Marie Rose Sauce
printable recipe below

Sauce:
1 head of garlic, top fifth cut to expose the cloves
Table salt and black pepper
6 1/3 ounces cherry tomatoes
4 large red chile peppers
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chipotle flakes
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Peppers:
8 red Romano peppers
Flaked sea salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons white or black sesame seeds, or a mixture of both
16 fresh makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, stems discarded, finely chopped
1 tablespoons nori sprinkles
2 1/2 cups sunflower oil
2 limes: finely zest to get 2 teaspoons, then cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

For the sauce: Sprinkle the garlic head with some salt and pepper, then wrap tightly in aluminum foil and place on a prepared baking sheet with the tomatoes and chiles. Roast for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes and chiles begin to blacken and blister.

Remove from the oven and, when cool, squeeze the garlic into the bowl of a small food processor, discarding the skins. Add the tomatoes, chiles, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon table salt and blitz to a coarse paste. Let cool completely, then mix with the mayonnaise and refrigerate for up to 1 week. (Make sure to remove the chile pepper peels and scrape out the flesh only for the sauce.)

Meanwhile, cut a vertical 2” slit in the base of each Romano pepper and place on the second prepared baking sheet. Roast for 16 minutes, turning the peppers over halfway through, until cooked and beginning to blacken a little.

Transfer to a sieve, cut-side down, to drain any liquid, taking care to keep the stems intact. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel away as much of the skin as possible without puncturing the flesh, then sprinkle each chile pepper with a good pinch of flaked salt and set aside.

Prepare three shallow containers long enough to fit the length of the peppers. Mix the flour with 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt and plenty of black pepper in the first container. Put the eggs into the second container. In the last container, mix the panko breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, lime leaves, nori, 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt, and a generous grind of pepper.

Set a large metal rack over a baking. Prepare a separate sheet lined with plenty of paper towels. Dip each Romano pepper into the flour, then the egg, and finally into the panko mixture, shaking any excess off as you go, and lay it on the prepared rack while you repeat with the rest of the peppers.

Pour the sunflower oil into a large, high-sided sauté pan and place on medium-high heat. Once very hot ( 355 degrees F) carefully lower two peppers into the oil and fry for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to the prepared sheet and repeat with the remaining peppers.

Serve the peppers right away with the lime zest and some flaked sea salt sprinkled on top and the lime wedges and sauce alongside.

Well Ottolenghi has done it again. This recipe is exceptional. I’ll probably only make it again if I hire kitchen staff, but if you think you’ll enjoy the tedious work of chile pepper schnitzels, you must make these! And the sauce is outstanding.

Another dish for My Last Meal!