Smoked Fish-Stuffed Peppers

Thomas and I spent last week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was on a mission to watch Clemson win the Orange Bowl, while I was determined to eat as many stone crabs as humanly possible. We both failed miserably. Clemson was absolutely pulverized by West Virginia, and the closest that I got to an actual crab was when one pinched my foot on a sandbar. Stupid crab.

Stone crabs were sold out at every restaurant that we visited, so we settled on smoked fish spread on more than one occasion. This popular Floridian spread is flavored with tasty smoked fish, refreshing lemon juice, and a hint of spice. Coconuts Restaurant won my vote for the best spread since they served theirs with a hefty plateful of jalapeño peppers, thus spawning my idea for Smoked Fish-Stuffed Peppers. With a pinch of heat from the jalapeños and Tabasco, I will gladly take this dish over a pinch from an evil crab any day.

Smoked Fish-Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

Cooking spray
6-8 sweet mini peppers
4 ounces smoked trout, skin and bones removed
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Few dashes Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons red onion, very finely diced
2 teaspoons jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed and very finely diced
Chopped chives for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Place them on the baking sheet and spray tops with additional cooking spray. Roast in oven for 22-24 minutes, turning halfway.

Break smoked trout into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Remove the peppers from the oven and spoon smoked fish spread into each one. Top with chopped chives and enjoy!