Spanish Tuna-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers (Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Atún) Recipe
A brightly flavored tuna salad inside sweet piquillo peppers. [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
The Spanish are masters at packing RDS (Really Delicious Stuff) into cans. When I'm drinking a glass of sherry or a Rioja with my wife Adri, I could be content with a good loaf of bread, some excellent olive oil, and some RDS. This recipe—pimientos del piquillo rellenos de atún (that's Spanish for "peppers with some well-dressed tuna shoved inside'em")—requires two jars of RDS: piquillo peppers and oil-packed bonito tuna. But it still takes all of 15 minutes to put together.
Why this recipe works:
- Starting with high quality canned ingredients means very little labor is required to reach delicious results.
- A garlicky and bright allioli brings tons of flavor to the tuna salad.
Note: If you don't want to make homemade allioli, you can make a quick cheaty version by whisking together 1/2 cup of store-bought mayonnaise, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 minced garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon minced garlic), and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Season well with salt. If you can't find piquillo peppers, substitute canned roasted red bell peppers cut into 1 inch wide strips. Assemble by spooning tuna salad on top of bread and laying a strip of bell pepper on top.
Read more: Piquillo Peppers Stuffed With Tuna and Allioli: Proof That Canned Foods Can Be Delicious
- Yield:Makes about 12 tapas, serving 4 to 6 as a snack
- Active time: 15 minutes
- Total time:15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (250-gram, about 8.5 ounces) can oil-packed bonito tuna, such as Ortiz, drained
- 1 recipe allioli (see note), divided
- 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon fresh juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped brined capers
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, divided
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (12- to 14-ounce) jar piquillo peppers, drained, about 12 total (see note)
- 12 slices baguette, cut on a sharp bias and toasted
- Coarse sea salt, for serving
Directions
-
1.
Combine tuna, 1/4 cup allioli, shallots, lemon juice, capers, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, and olive oil in a medium bowl and fold gently to incorporate. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, adding more lemon juice, olive oil, or allioli if desired.
-
2.
Stuff tuna mixture into piquillo peppers. Arrange baguette slices on a serving board. Top each with a stuffed pepper. Top with a dollop of allioli. Sprinkle with remaining parsley, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Place a toothpick in each to secure it to the bread and serve immediately.
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Piquillo Peppers Stuffed With Tuna and Allioli: Proof That Canned Foods Can Be DeliciousAll products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.
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