Avocado and Cream Cheese Chilli Poppers
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
The ultimate game day snack – crunchy panko-dipped jalapeño peppers with a creamy avocado filling. Excellent washed down with an ice cold beer while cheering on your winning team.
Ingredients
Poppers
12 large pickled jalapeños
2 avocados
100 g cream cheese
zest and juice of 1 small lemon
salt and pepper
Panko
3 C (750 ml) Panko crumbs
1 C (250 ml) flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
3 eggs, whisked
enough oil to deep fry
Dip
1 C (250 ml) plain full cream yoghurt
1 avocado, pitted and flesh scooped out
a squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper
Instructions
Poppers
Use a sharp paring knife to cut a slit into the jalapeño from the top to bottom. Hold the chilli in between your thumb and index finger and press to open the slit up. Using a teaspoon or small knife, remove the seeds and ribs from the chilli and discard. Repeat until all the chillies are deseeded.
For the filling, add the avocado and cream cheese to a mixing bowl and whisk well to combine. If you want a completely smooth texture, you can blitz with a stick blender.
Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
To fill the chillies, pop the slit open again, then use a teaspoon to work filling into the chilli cavity; press it closed and remove any excess filling from the top of the slit.
To crumb the chillies set out 3 bowls: one with seasoned flour, one with eggs and one with panko crumbs. Drop a chilli into the flour to coat, then dust off any excess. Drop the chilli into the egg to coat and then drain off any excess. Finally, roll the chilli into the panko crumbs to coat. Repeat with the remaining chillies. After all the chillies are coated, repeat the process again from start to finish to give each chilli a second layer of crumbs.
Preheat the oil to 180 ºC. When at temperature, fry the poppers for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Drain the poppers on a cooling rack or on sheets of paper towel. Repeat until all the poppers are fried.
Dip
Add the yoghurt, avocado and lemon juice to a bowl and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Season to taste, then place in the fridge until needed.
Serve the crumbed poppers while hot with avocado dipping sauce on the side.
