When I say Gouda you say Peppers, Gouda Peppers!

Cheesy, spicy and meaty; the perfect appetiser for friends who allocate a special place in their lives for spicy food.

When I started making this spicy and aromatic appetiser with Gouda cheese, my mind naturally wandered off to the Netherlands. Gouda cheese is named after a city in the Netherlands where one of my oldest friends’ also lives. This friend and I have four things in common: adorable maternal grandparents, loads of grey hair, identical feet and the ability to eat insanely spicy food.

I can’t reminisce enough when I think of all the times we’ve played in our grandmothers’ gardens, fought over home grown tangerines, turnips and carrots, made houses with wet sand, watched daffy duck cartoons, endlessly sang kya hua tera waada and made multiple recordings of the song on audiotapes while eating spicy chicken pocket sandwiches from Salt ‘n ‘Pepper.

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He was thin and fast, and I was, well, fat and slow. He was athletic and I was a slouch. Some 30 odd years later the tables have turned. If I were to buy a gift for him now, it would probably be a brassiere (with support).

Come to think of it he was a big support system when I moved to abroad for the first time. He was the one who introduced me to freshly baked buttery Brioche from Sainsbury's, perfectly piquant hot and sour soup from a nifty restaurant near our apartment and the soft creamy ‘Boursin’ cheese, which he used to gulp down like water. He was also one of the two people who tasted and loved my first ever (abnormally spicy), cooked meal.

Spice, Gouda and memories bring together these incredible Gouda peppers. Cheesy, spicy, meaty and honestly a hearty snack; the perfect appetiser to share with friends who allocate a special place in their lives for spicy food.

The recipe to make Chilli Peppers with Gouda is:

Ingredients (makes four):

Photo: Saadia Tariq

Green chilli (approximately two) - 70 grams

Cream cheese (softened) - 35 grams

Sausage meat (finely chopped) – 45 grams

Gouda cheese (grated) – 25 grams

Dried herbs

Red chilli flakes

Photo: Saadia Tariq

Method

1. Slit the green chillies lengthwise, and get rid of the seeds and membranes. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

2. Soften the cream cheese in a bowl and mix well with chopped sausages.

3. Lay the green peppers on a baking sheet stuff and stuff the cream cheese and sausage mixture. Generously sprinkle Gouda cheese.

4. Finish off with sprinkling dried herbs and red chilli flakes on top of the peppers.

5. Bake in a pre-heated oven 180 degrees Celsius (350F) for about 12-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the peppers become soft.

Photo: Saadia Tariq

Serve and eat immediately to enjoy the full flavour.

I can guarantee that one will not be enough; your consumption will definitely double after one taste of this scrumptiously spicy dish. Just make sure you don’t overdo it; I can’t be looking for over-sized brassieres for all of you, now can I?