Little Peppers Stuffed With Shrimp

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   1. Wash and dry the chile pepper, leaving the stems on. Wearing disposable gloves to keep the hot oil off your skin, cut a slit down one side of each pepper. Use a slim,

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   blunt knife or a tool such as the handle of a teaspoon to carefully scrape out all the seeds. Work carefully so you don't break the pepper or dislodge its stem.

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   2. In a 10-inch saute pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and green onion and cook until fragrant, but not browned. Add the chopped shrimp, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until the shrimp are pink and firm. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

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   3. Stir in the shredded cheese. The mixture should hold its shape. If it is too crumbly, turn it out on a cutting board and chop until it sticks together.

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   4. Use a small teaspoon to gently fill each pepper with about 11/2 tablespoons of the shrimp mixture. The filling should be generous. At this point, if you wish, you can

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   refrigerate the stuffed peppers, covered, for up to 24 hours.

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   5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat an ovenproof cast-iron griddle or pan over medium-high heat. Lay a sheet of foil on the griddle and set the peppers on top. Roast the peppers on all sides until they are browned in places and are starting to get soft and wrinkled.

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   6. Transfer the griddle or pan to the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the filling is hot and bubbly.

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   7. Arrange the stuffed peppers on a warm serving plate and top each with a spoonful of mango salsa. Scatter with the pomegranate seeds or pepitas, if using, and serve right away with cilantro sprigs.

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    For the Mango Habanero Salsa:

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    Combine all the ingredients. Taste for seasoning; the salsa should be full-flavored, both sweet and very hot. You may need to add more lime juice or salt. This salsa should be used within 2 hours.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.