ARMADILLO EGGS
Ingredients:
10 lg Jalapeño Chilies, green and fresh (whole)
¾ lb Monterey Jack Cheese
¼ lb Orange-Yellow Cheddar Cheese, sharp
½ lb Spicy Sage Sausage (bulk)
1¼ c Flour
1½ ts Baking Powder
¼ ts Salt
1 c Breadcrumbs, fine
Preparation:
Cut the cheddar cheese into ⅜” cubes. Roll each cube between your palms to form a ball for the armadillo egg “yolk”. Grate the Jack cheese, and then press a few teaspoons together to form an oblong shape around each “yolk”, to form the egg “white” — just enough to fit inside the jalapeños.
Remove stems and slit the jalapeños down one side only; scrape out the seeds and pith. Stuff each jalapeño with a cheese assembly, adding more Jack cheese as necessary to completely fill the chilies. Do not over-fill; the chilies must be able to close completely.
Mix the baking powder, salt and the flour. Combine the flour mix with the raw sausage and kneed with your hands until a stiff biscuit-like dough is formed. Grab a handful of dough, flatten it out into a circle big enough to engulf a jalapeño about 1/8- to 3/16-inch thick all around, and then mold it around in the shape of an egg. Do this for each jalapeño.
Roll the armadillo eggs in the breadcrumbs. Deep-fry until golden (for a lower fat version, bake on a baking sheet at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 15- to 20-minutes, or until golden).
Allow to cool 5-minutes before serving. Serve as an appetizer with ice-cold dark ale.
Note: Try making a few “bloody” armadillo eggs mixed in with the others. Simply add a dab of extra-hot and thick hot sauce or taco sauce to the inside of the jalapeños before stuffing with cheese.
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