Why all that sauce just sitting in the dish in these stuffed bell peppers recipes?
The recipes here and here each call for dumping a lot of a tomato & broth (+ onion) sauce in the baking dish. Like around .75 cup per bell pepper.
That's way (way, way) too much to want to spoon over the peppers at the end, so is this stuff just meant for pouring into a cup (or tipping a corner of the dish over your soup hole if you have no cups nor time for fancy "table manners") to slurp down alongside your pepper? Seems weird, so wondering if it serves an indirect yet essential purpose like adding flavor and moisture (these recipes call for covering the baking dish) to the stuffed peppers themselves.
I don't know if this is common in similar recipies. Both of the cited recipes are by the same guy, so maybe it's just his quirk...
Best Answer
These recipes seem to be a misunderstanding how stuffed pepper recipes typically work. At least when we are looking at the Balkan tradition, where the dish originated - this answer focuses on it only. If there is by now a changed form in US recipes, it is not included in my use of the word "traditional".
Traditionally, stuffed peppers are made with sivriyas or other peppers with at least one small dimension, not the monstrous spherical things available in Western supermarkets nowadays. The rice is prepared in the pilaf way - it is fried in oil, then it can be slightly parcooked or just be used at that stage. It is mixed with the other filling ingredients (much more rice than meat) and stuffed into the peppers after they have been punctured in multiple places with a fork. They are placed in the baking dish and the liquid is added.
When you do it that way, the rice cookes in the oven. The liquid you mention is needed to cook the rice. The holes are needed for the liquid to penetrate into the peppers, the small dimensions are needed so that the liquid reaches even the middle, and the "small pieces of meat embedded in rice" texture is again needed for the liquid to get throughout the rice.
When the peppers are ready, they will still have some liquid left over in the baking dish. But after an hour or so, the rice will soak up the rest of the liquid, and you'll only serve the dish after it has rested.
Beside that, it is pretty common to eat the prepared peppers with an additional liquid - mostly yogurt, but I have also seen tomato sauces, but never something as thin as broth. These sauces are added at serving time, traditionally. For eating, you don't spoon the sauce, you break off parts of the stuffed pepper and mix the rice into the sauce before scooping it up. It is possible that the people who made the recipes in your link are using the liquid in that way.
It is also possible that they are just taking the peppers out of the sauce before serving and discarding it. Note that one of the recipes mentions as a last step "drizzle with a spoon of pan juices" - this suggests that you are only using a small part of it.
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What sauce can you put in stuffed peppers?
Tomato Sauce- dilute 1 cup of water with canned tomato sauce! Use any tomato product like spaghetti sauce, V8 tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, or diced (pureed.) Veggies- carrots and onions. Seasoning- basic spices like salt and ground black pepper are the main spices although steak seasoning adds more flavor!Should I cook my bell peppers before stuffing them?
ANSWER: Some recipes call for blanching the peppers to soften them slightly; others do not. Green peppers at a local store were stuffed with a raw ground meat mixture and looked as though they were not boiled or blanched. If you bake peppers this way, they will take longer to cook and will hold their shape better.Why are my stuffed peppers soggy?
Don't overbake your peppers. They will get mushy and soggy if cooked too long. Also, avoid adding any extra liquids to the filling before baking to keep the peppers from getting soggy. Make Sure the Peppers are Fork Tender.How do you keep stuffed bell peppers from drying out?
You can cook your stuffed bell peppers in a baking dish in the oven. You will add about 1/2 cup water (or broth) to the baking dish and cover the dish with foil. The water will create steam which will help to soften the peppers. The steam will also keep the stuffed peppers and filling from drying out.How to Make Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers | The Stay At Home Chef
More answers regarding why all that sauce just sitting in the dish in these stuffed bell peppers recipes?
Answer 2
I'm from the Balkans, and yes, stuffed bell (not cone-shaped) peppers in tomato & onion sauce is a traditional dish here, usually served with mashed potatoes and with a splash of yougurt or sour cream (optional, to be added when the dish is served). Often, the sauce is made from diced fresh tomatoes and in such a quantity that it almost covers the peppers in the baking dish. The sauce reduces during the baking process and before serving the dish, I usually press it through a sieve or use a stick blender to get a more smooth texture.
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