Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Atún
Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Atún·(pee-MYEN-tos del pee-KEE-yo ray-YEN-os de ah-TOON)
La Cena Ligera
In America, canned food is usually an act of desperation. In Spain, conservas are a high art. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of eating watery, lemon-soaked deli tuna stuffed into a generic red bell pepper, banish it from your memory. The real deal, exactly the way a grandmother in Navarra makes it, relies on one transformative trick: gently confiting the jarred piquillos in olive oil and their own juices to strip away any tinny acidity. Stuffed with premium olive oil-packed tuna and tightly bound with mayonnaise and hard-boiled egg, this is a brilliant, zero-pretension weeknight dinner that tastes exactly like home.
Before you start
Seek out authentic ingredients.
Find real D.O.P. Lodosa piquillo peppers in the international aisle; do not substitute large, watery roasted red bell peppers. Likewise, water-packed tuna will ruin the texture—only use tuna packed in olive oil.
Ingredients
- jarred Pimientos del Piquillo12 oz
- extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp
- cloves garlic2 med
- granulated sugar1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
- olive oil-packed Spanish tuna10 oz
- eggs2 large
- sweet onion3 tbsp
- green olives6 large
- mayonnaise3 tbsp
- tomato sauce or ketchup1 tbsp
- freshly ground black pepper1 pinch
- fresh parsley1 tbsp
- flaky sea salt1 pinch
Method
- 01
Infuse the olive oil with garlic.
In a wide skillet over medium-low heat, gently warm the olive oil and sliced garlic for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
- 02
Confit the peppers in their own juices.
Lay the empty peppers flat in the skillet in a single layer, sprinkling the sugar and kosher salt evenly over the top, then pour in the reserved pepper juice from the jar. Turn the heat to low and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the liquid reduces to a sticky glaze. Remove from heat and let cool in the pan to room temperature.
- 03
Mash the filling into a cohesive paste.
In a medium bowl, vigorously mash the flaked tuna, minced eggs, onion, olives, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, and black pepper with a fork. You want a thick, spreadable paste that holds its shape, not a chunky deli salad.
- 04
Pipe the tuna mixture into the cooled peppers.
Transfer the filling to a heavy-duty zip-top bag, snip a half-inch off the corner, and squeeze the paste deep into each pepper without tearing the flesh.
- 05
Garnish with the pan drippings and serve.
Arrange the stuffed peppers on a platter, drizzle generously with the syrupy, garlicky red oil left in the skillet, and finish with flaky sea salt and minced parsley.
Notes
Make them ahead of time.
These actually taste better the next day. Confit and stuff them on a Sunday, store them in the fridge, and pull them out ten minutes before dinner for a zero-effort weeknight meal.
Serve with heavily toasted bread.
You will want rustic sourdough or a crusty baguette to mop up the garlicky, syrupy red oil left on the platter.
From Cook Spanish in America.