Roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with a creamy salt cod and bechamel filling, baked until bubbling, a specialty of northern Spain.
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.
Serves 4
Soak the salt cod in cold water 24 hours, changing the water 3 times, then poach 5 minutes and flake, discarding skin and bones.
Heat olive oil and cook half the onion until soft; add garlic and the flaked cod, cooking 3 minutes.
Stir in flour, cook 1 minute, then gradually whisk in warm milk until thick; season with nutmeg and combine with the cod mixture.
In a separate pan, cook the remaining onion in a little oil, then add crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt, simmering 15 minutes.
Carefully spoon the cod filling into each piquillo pepper.
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.
Serve hot, spooning extra tomato sauce over the peppers.
Use jarred piquillo peppers, which are already roasted and peeled — fresh peppers won't have the same sweet, smoky flavor or delicate texture.
Make sure the salt cod is thoroughly desalted through soaking, or the whole dish will taste overly salty.
Fill the peppers gently with a spoon rather than piping, since piquillos tear easily if handled roughly.
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.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently covered in a low oven to avoid drying out the filling.
Piquillo peppers are grown specifically in Navarra in northern Spain and have protected designation of origin status, and stuffing them with salt cod or seafood reflects the broader Basque culinary tradition of pairing this sweet pepper with rich savory fillings.
Yes, though piquillo peppers have a distinctly sweeter, more delicate flavor that's worth seeking out if possible.
Fresh cod or another firm white fish can substitute in a pinch, though you'll lose the distinct flavor that salt cod provides.
Piquillo peppers are delicate — spoon the filling in gently and don't overstuff, leaving a little room.
Per serving (260g / 9.2 oz) · 4 servings total
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