From the SCCC Kitchen: Hot Pepper Spread provides extra spice for Super Sunday (with video)

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeff Wilkin

“From the SCCC Kitchen” offers Daily Gazette readers tastes from Schenectady County Community College’s nationally accredited American Culinary Federation culinary arts program. Recipes selected by SCCC instructors can easily be prepared at home. Today, technical specialist Jay Larkin offers a bowl full of heat perfect for super football fans of the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts — his Hot Pepper Spread is the third of four college-designed recipes designed for Sunday afternoons by television or fireplace.

Football teams that reach the Super Bowl are versatile.

Some of Jay Larkin’s favorite appetizers share that quality. Especially his Hot Pepper Spread.

“I’ve put it in omelettes in the morning, I’ve put it between two slices of cheese,” Larkin said. The spread is also a nice topper for crackers and a fine filling for baked rolls. “It almost becomes a mini-garbage bread at that point,” he said of the latter application.

The spread offers a bit of kick, thanks to the hot peppers. That’s why it became a Larkin family favorite; chef Jay said father Jim always appreciated foods that brought heat to taste buds.

One football team will be hotter than the other Sunday night. Larkin believes people who sample his pepper spread will warm up, too.

“It’s mild to hot, depending on the type of peppers you use,” he said. “Just delicious all around.”

Hot Pepper Spread

2 1⁄2 pounds hot peppers

1 14-ounce jar Spanish olives

1 4- to 5-ounce jar of chopped garlic in oil (6 to 10 cloves of fresh, chopped garlic may be substituted)

1 pound Provolone cheese, cubed (cheddar, pepper jack or mozzarella may be substituted)

8 ounces pepperoni, cubed

4 ounces anchovies with oil, chopped

Black pepper and oregano, to taste

Cut and seed peppers. Cut into small pieces in food processor on “pulse” setting and process in small batches so the peppers do not get too soft and mushy. Follow the same procedure for the olives and garlic in the food processor.

Mix the peppers with the cubed pepperoni and cheese and chopped anchovies and mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Add black pepper, oregano and some of the reserved olive juice and olive oil to make the mixture somewhat juicy. Let the mixture marinate for 2 hours for service, or cover and refrigerate for future need.