Piquillo Peppers - the New Roasted Pepper on the Block

Piquillo peppers have been celebrated in Spain for centuries, but are relatively new when it comes to most American palates. I must say that up until a couple of years ago I was one of them. After trying them for the first time I found myself replacing them on just about everything I used standard bell pepper varieties that are roasted.

When I began searching these out for export I found out a few things. One, there is not an overabundance of piquillo peppers grown in northern Spain, and two, the ones that are happen to be very expensive are kept within Spain for consumption. What I did find was an excellent alternative that was grown in Peru. In most cases I am very much a proponent of foods staying within their terrior, but much like what American cheese makers have done with their evolution of artisan European styles I have found instances like this one where foods can be transported abroad and grown and made superbly.

So you know a little about them the piquillo pepper variety originated in Northern Spain and take their name from their conical shape which happens to look like a birds beak, hence the literal translation “little beak”. The walls of the pepper are much thinner than a “bell” variety, but what really makes them stand apart is the flavor. They have a rich sweet flavor with just a small accent of spiciness and because they are fire roasted they finish with just the right amount of smoke.

Like I said I found myself replacing roasted bell peppers with these on sandwiches and salads, but probably the best thing is that their shape makes them ideal for stuffing. This is common in a lot of Spanish Tapas which they are stuffed with anything from seafood to vegetables. Although not entirely original I like them best when I stuff them with a filling made from imported tuna packed in olive oil, crumbled manchego, capers, parsley and a little lemon juice for acidity.

RECIPE link:

Tuna Stuffed Roasted Piquillo Peppers