Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Goat Cheese
Adapted fromThe New Spanish Table, Anya Von Bremzen
This recipe makes a fast and delicious appetizer, especially when served with a warm loaf of bread.
Roasted and jarred piquillo peppers were once difficult to find, but are now readily available. Check online at the Spanish grocery site La Tienda, Whole Foods or course, the ubiquitous Amazon.
Ingredients
8 ounces plain or herbed fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
14 to 16 whole piquillo peppers, fire roasted and sold in a jar or can
1-2 Tbl of the liquid in which the peppers were packed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Optional: ¼ cup finely chopped cooked shrimp or Ventresca tuna, packed in olive oil
Optional Garnish: Fresh Basil Leaves or Basil Oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mash the goat cheese with 2 Tbl reserved juice from the can of peppers.
Stuff the whole piquillo peppers ¾ full with the goat cheese mixture, mixed with the shrimp or tuna, if desired. I think it looks best if you pipe in the cheese filling.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the stuffed peppers in a single layer. Add the garlic and stir until it is fragrant but not brown, and remove from the oil. Add the stuffed peppers, basting with the fragrant garlic oil.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the peppers are hot and cheese is very soft, about 15 minutes.
Serve on a platter garnished with fresh basil and the optional basil oil.
Aceite de Albahaca: Fresh Basil Oil
Ingredients
1 ½ cups packed basil leaves
½ cup extra virgin or light olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Instructions
Bring saucepan of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath.
Blanch the basil just until it turns bright green and immediately plunge it into the ice bath. Drain and press dry.
Purée the basil in a blender. Add the olive oil and blend until smooth.
Season with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes. If you want the oil to be bright green, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. It will keep for a week in the refrigerator, but bring it to room temperature before using.