Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Queso de Cabra
Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Queso de Cabra·(pee-MYEN-tos del pee-KEE-yo rre-YAY-nos de KAY-so de KAH-bra)
Chapter 1: Foundations & the Bar Snacks
This is the dish that makes your guests realize they are in for a restaurant-caliber evening. The magic of a great tapas bar is the illusion of effortless speed, plates hitting the table in rapid succession. These stuffed piquillos are your secret weapon. You assemble them hours before your guests arrive, holding them in the fridge while the wine flows and the jamon is sliced. When the time is right, you slide them under a blistering broiler until the peppers caramelize, the goat cheese softens into a luxurious cream, and a hit of sherry vinegar creates an intoxicating aroma. Do not substitute watery red bell peppers here; genuine beechwood-roasted piquillos from Navarra are the structural and smoky foundation of this dish, and they earn every penny of their price tag.
Before you start
Build the cheese filling in a medium bowl.
Aggressively mix the room-temperature goat cheese, heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, shallot, garlic, walnuts, and thyme until completely smooth. The cream prevents the goat cheese from separating and turning grainy when it hits the heat. Season heavily with black pepper and taste before adding salt.
Carefully stuff the piquillo peppers.
Transfer the cheese mixture into a piping bag or a heavy-duty plastic bag with one bottom corner snipped off. Gently hold a pepper open and pipe the cheese into the cavity, filling only three-quarters of the way full so it does not erupt in the oven.
Hold the dish for service.
Arrange the stuffed peppers in a single layer in a shallow, heavy-bottomed baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until your guests arrive.
Ingredients
- whole Pimientos del Piquillo10 oz
- Caña de Cabra or Bucheron goat cheese8 oz
- heavy cream2 tbsp
- Spanish extra virgin olive oil1 tbsp
- shallot1 small
- garlic1 small clove
- walnuts2 tbsp
- fresh thyme leaves1 tsp
- aged sherry vinegar1 tbsp
- Spanish honey1 tbsp
- flaky sea salt1 pinch
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven broiler.
When your guests are working through the olives and the jamon board, preheat your broiler to high. If your broiler is unreliable, crank the oven to 400 degrees.
- 02
Blister the peppers under the intense heat.
Remove the plastic wrap, generously drizzle the peppers with more Spanish olive oil, and blast them directly under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes. Watch them like a hawk; you want the peppers to blister slightly and the cheese to soften and puff, but not melt into a greasy puddle.
- 03
Apply the tapas bar finish.
Remove the sizzling dish from the oven and immediately drizzle the hot peppers with the sherry vinegar and honey. The vinegar will hit the hot oil and create an instant, aromatic emulsion.
- 04
Plate and serve immediately.
Transfer the peppers to a warm serving platter using a small offset spatula, spoon the mingled pan juices over the top, and garnish with flaky sea salt and fresh parsley.
Notes
Respect the pepper.
Do not attempt to use standard jarred roasted red bell peppers for this recipe. Bell peppers lack the structural integrity and deep, woodsy smokiness of true piquillos, turning this elegant dish into a watery mess.
Cheese matters.
If you cannot find Cana de Cabra or Bucheron, use a high-quality fresh goat cheese log. Make sure it is brought to room temperature and whipped very well with the cream to mimic the luxurious texture of the Murcian original.