Pimientos Rellenos de Bacalao (Peppers Stuffed with Salt Cod)

About This Recipe

This dish comes from the Basque and Navarra regions of northern Spain, where piquillo peppers — small, sweet, roasted red peppers — are prized for their thin walls and mild sweetness, ideal vessels for a rich savory filling. The filling combines flaked, desalted cod with a thick bechamel sauce and sauteed onion, giving each stuffed pepper a creamy, deeply savory center that contrasts with the peppers' natural sweetness. Baked briefly with a light tomato sauce underneath, the dish is finished until bubbling at the edges, best served as a substantial starter or a light main course alongside crusty bread.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gsalt cod (bacalao)
• 12piquillo peppers(jarred, whole)
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbspflour(for bechamel)
• 1.5 cupsmilk(warmed)
• 1/4 tspnutmeg
• 1.5 cupscrushed tomatoes(for sauce)
• 1/2 tspsugar(for sauce)
• 1 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the cod

   Soak the salt cod in cold water 24 hours, changing the water 3 times, then poach 5 minutes and flake, discarding skin and bones.

2. 2

   Cook the onion

   Heat olive oil and cook half the onion until soft; add garlic and the flaked cod, cooking 3 minutes.

3. 3

   Make the bechamel filling

   Stir in flour, cook 1 minute, then gradually whisk in warm milk until thick; season with nutmeg and combine with the cod mixture.

4. 4

   Make the tomato sauce

   In a separate pan, cook the remaining onion in a little oil, then add crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt, simmering 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Stuff the peppers

   Carefully spoon the cod filling into each piquillo pepper.

6. 6

   Bake

   Spread the tomato sauce in a baking dish, arrange the stuffed peppers on top, and bake at 190C/375F for 20 minutes until bubbling.

   Handle the peppers gently — piquillos are delicate and tear easily when overfilled.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve hot, spooning extra tomato sauce over the peppers.

Variations

• •

  A version using shredded crab or another white fish instead of salt cod is common along the Basque coast.

• •

  Some versions skip the tomato sauce and serve the peppers simply with their own pan juices.

• •

  A vegetarian version fills the peppers with a mushroom and bechamel mixture instead.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently covered in a low oven to avoid drying out the filling.

Frequently Asked Questions