Stuffed pointed peppers with couscous

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 large pointed peppers
• 200 g sausage (Göttinger or city sausage)
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 piece(s) leek, approx. 10 cm long
• 1 egg(s)
• 3 tbsp panko
• 250 g tomatoes
• 1 large onion(s)
• 2 tbsp mild ajvar
• 150 ml red wine, dry
• 150 ml water
• salt and pepper
• 100 g couscous
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• some extra virgin olive oil
• some butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Cut the tops off the peppers, remove the flesh, leaving only the green stem, and cut the flesh into small cubes. Remove the seeds and skins from the peppers. Finely chop or mash the sausage. Finely chop the onion and thinly slice the leek. Sauté both in a little olive oil. Add the onion and leek to the sausage along with the egg and panko flour and process into a filling. Stuff the peppers with this. Heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof pan and fry the peppers on all sides. Remove the stems from the tomatoes and cut into small cubes. Peel the onion and dice it. Add both to the peppers along with the pieces of pepper and fry. Stir in the ajvar and pour in the red wine and water. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Cover the stuffed peppers and braise them in the oven at 190°C (top/bottom heat) for about 1 hour. Check the liquid level occasionally and add more water if necessary. During the last 10 minutes, bring the vegetable broth to a boil, stir in the couscous, bring to a boil, and then cover and let stand for about 5 minutes. Remove the peppers from the pan, slice them into approximately 3 cm thick, and season the sauce to taste. Serve the dish on warmed plates with the couscous. Tip: Bratwurst mince also works well as a filling.