Spanish cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Piquillo peppers filled with a creamy salt cod béchamel and warmed through in a velvety pepper sauce.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 jars piquillo peppers (250 g)
• 300 g desalted salt cod
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 60 g butter
• 60 g flour
• 500 ml milk
• 100 ml cream
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Poach the desalted salt cod in a little milk just below boiling for 6–8 min., remove, take out any bones and flake finely with your fingers.
2. Set aside twelve nice, whole piquillo peppers for stuffing, and purée the rest finely with the garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil.
3. Dice the onion very finely, sweat it in the butter for 6 min. until translucent, stir in the flour and cook lightly for 2 min., then whisk in the milk gradually and simmer for 8 min. into a thick béchamel.
4. Stir in the salt cod with nutmeg, pepper and a little salt and let the mixture cool completely on a flat plate for at least 30 min. until firm enough to spread.
5. Fill the peppers with the mixture using a piping bag or teaspoon and set the stuffed peppers opening-up in a baking dish.
6. Bring the pepper purée to a boil with the cream, season with salt, pour over the peppers and heat everything in the oven at 180°C for 15 min. until the sauce is gently bubbling — serve hot.