Deep Fried Hors D’Oeuvres

Yield: 20

Preparation time is 20 minutes, cooking time 20 Minutes

Ingredients

• 5 large red bell peppers
• 60 g butter
• 1 small picking onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ plain white flour – (60ml)
• 1 cup milk – (250ml)
• 3 x 100g canned tuna in oil, drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley – (15ml)
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped chives (5ml)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2/3 cups plain white flour (for dredging) – (150ml)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ teaspoon paprika – (2.5ml)
• 2/3 cup dry bread crumbs – (150ml)
• Oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Preheat the grill
2. Quarter red bell peppers.  Place them on the grill and roast until the skin is charred.  Peel the roasted peppers.
3. Melt butter in a skillet and sauté onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in the flour and cook until the mixture bubbles and begins to change colour.
4. Remove from heat and gradually pour in milk, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Once all the milk has been added return to heat and bring to a boil.  Mixture will thicken and leave the side of the pan.
5. Stir in tuna, parsley, chives and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool.
6. When mixture is cool, spoon scoopfuls into the bases of each quartered roasted red bell pepper. Roll peppers into a pinwheel and secure with a toothpick.  Repeat until all quarters are rolled.
7. Using three separate bowls, combine breadcrumbs and paprika in one bowl, place remaining flour in another, and a slightly beaten egg in the last bowl. Coat the rolled peppers in the flour, then the eggs, allowing the excess to drip away, and finally toss in the paprika flavoured bread crumbs.
8. Heat the oil to 350F.  Place no more than 3 packages in the oil at once to avoid overcrowding and lowering the temperature of the oil.  Cook in batches for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and remove toothpick.  Continue until all of the rolls have been fried.  Serve hot and enjoy.