Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Cook the rice.
2. Prepare the vegetables : Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, then remove the seeds; finely chop the onion; cut the celery into small pieces.
3. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion then sauté 3-4 min until lightly coloured and soft, paying attention not to let it burn. Add the celery and sauté 2 more min, then remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
4. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, then add the ground meat. Sear about 4-5 min over medium-high heat until the meat looses its red colour, then break it up with a fork. In order to brown the meat, it is important not to stir it at the beginning, otherwise it will loose its juices and will «boil» rather than brown. When the meat is golden-coloured, put the cooked onion and celery back into the pan. Pour in the broth, then add the paprika and cayenne pepper (if desired). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked rice and mix well.
5. Fill the pepper halves with the meat-rice mixture, dividing and slightly mounding it equally among the halves. Arrange the stuffed peppers in a baking dish. To keep the environment moist during baking, pour just a little water in the bottom of the dish (between ½ and 1 cup, depending on the dish size).
6. Bake the peppers, uncovered, in the middle of the oven until the tops are browned, about 30 min.
7. Serve immediately. The presentation may be brightened up by sprinkling some chopped parsley on top of the peppers.

Remarks