Tuna-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers
Bright red piquillo peppers from Spain come packed in a tin or jar. The little peppers are roasted and peeled, ready to be used. They can have any number of fillings, but tuna (high-quality tinned tuna) is a clear favorite. Tapas bars often have them stuffed with garlicky salt cod or slices of sheep’s milk cheese.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1(6- to 7-ounce) jar high-quality Spanish or Italian tuna
- 1tablespoon small capers or roughly chopped large capers
- 2tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1teaspoon chopped mint
- ¼cup celery, tender center stalks and leaves
- ½cup finely diced red onion or chopped scallions
- Salt and pepper
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1teaspoon lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 12piquillo peppers, from a jar
- Lettuce leaves, for garnish (optional)
- Hard-boiled eggs, cooked for 8 minutes, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Drain the tuna and put it in a medium mixing bowl. Use a fork to break tuna into large flakes and push to one side of the bowl.Step 2
Put capers, parsley, mint, celery and onions on the other side of the bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add red-pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil, then stir the mixture to coat tuna well.Step 3
Use a teaspoon to fill each pepper with some of the tuna mixture.Step 4
Arrange stuffed peppers on lettuce leaves on a platter. Garnish with quartered or halved hard-cooked eggs sprinkled with salt. Serve at cool room temperature.