Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Piquillo peppers are small but they sure are delicious! Spaniards love to stuff them with such things as seafood, cheese and rice- you can even eat them plain or pop them into a salad.

They are grown in northern Spain and have a nice sweet taste. They are often sold roasted in jars – I thought they would be hard to find here in Adelaide but I was amazed to find them readily available in supermarkets here!

Roasted piquillo peppers in a jar

The first time I came across piquillo peppers was in Madrid last year when I did an intensive cooking course at the Cordon Bleu school. We stuffed our peppers with a mixture of cod, spinach and a Bechamel sauce, served over a zesty tomato sauce. The base for the sauce includes some chopped up piquillo peppers- it tastes so good that you could even use it for other dishes, such as a sauce for pasta.

I’ve re-created the recipe for you here, except I’m using chopped chives in the stuffing instead of spinach. I remember the chef in Madrid giving me a hard time over the spinach: the instructions were to wash the spinach three times before placing it in a salad spinner. He didn’t believe me when I told him I had already washed the spinach three times and he told me to wash it once more. I couldn’t see the point and decided not to- thank goodness he didn’t notice!

These peppers are small- only about three inches high (even though they may look huge in the photo). They make a great appetizer or ‘tapas’ or you could even serve them as a main course.

I really appreciate your comments- they make my day!

Stuffed Pipillo Peppers

Print Recipe

Serves: 10 Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

10-12 whole Piquillo peppers + 150 g. extra peppers for the sauce
For the Sauce:
2 tbsps olive oil (for frying)
1 small red chili pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
100 g. carrot, chopped
½ onion, chopped
150 g. chopped Piquillo peppers
Mild paprika to paste
100 mil white wine
200 g. tomato sauce (passata)
600 ml chicken or fish stock
1 Bay leaf
Salt to taste
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Final Garnish: finely chopped parsley
Cod Poaching Liquid:
250 g. raw cod
1 garlic clove, crushed
15 g. onion slices
Water- enough water to cover the cod
Béchamel Sauce:
2 tbsps. butter
2 tbsps. flour
¾ cup milk
White pepper/salt
Chives, chopped
__________________________
To form the stuffing in the blender:
Cooked cod
Béchamel sauce with chives
Garlic and onion from the poaching liquid
Salt to taste
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Instructions

Make the sauce: Chop the chili pepper, carrot and onion and garlic, then sauté in olive oil over medium high heat until the veggies are soft (several minutes). Reduce the heat and add the remaining ingredients: paprika, white wine, tomato sauce, chopped piquillo peppers, chicken or fish stock, bay leaf and salt to taste.

Let simmer for at least 15-20 minutes (longer if possible). Blend in the food processor for one minute until the mixture is smooth.

Poach the cod: Add the raw cod to a fry pan or saucepan, cover with water, add the crushed garlic clove and onion slices, then simmer for several minutes until the cod is ‘flaky’ and cooked through. Remove cod from pan and set aside.

Make the Béchamel Sauce: melt 2 tbsps. butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the 2 tbsps. flour and stir to make a paste. Gradually whisk in the milk until the sauce thickens. Add the chopped chives; season with white pepper and salt to taste.

Finish the stuffing in food processor: Place the poached cod into a food processor; add the béchamel sauce, plus the garlic and onion pieces from the poaching liquid. Pulse until smooth; add more salt/pepper if required (optional: add a little grated cheese, if desired).

Final assemble of the dish: Trim off the edges of the whole piquillo peppers and remove any seeds. Spoon in the stuffing so that each pepper is filled 90%. Re-heat the sauce. To serve, place a little sauce in the centre of the plate, arrange several peppers on top of the sauce with the points of the peppers facing inwards (toward the centre of the plate). Dust with some finely chopped parsley and add a few drops of olive oil on the plate.

Notes

You could substitute the cod with another white fish, if desired.

May 9, 2018 By Fran Flint

Crème Brulée with Strawberries Pear Tartlets with Salted Caramel Sauce

About Fran Flint

I've lived in Paris, Adelaide and San Diego and love to create tasty recipes from around the world!

Stuffed Piquillo Peppers