Piquillo means ‘little beak’ and refers to the shape of the peppers. We always bring home a dozen tins of piquillo peppers from our trips to Spain provided we can accommodate the weight. You can buy jars in the UK but the price difference is remarkable. In Spain piquillo peppers are often stuffed with salt cod, coated in bread crumbs and deep fried. We have found a recipe in New Tapas by Fiona Dunlop which uses canned tuna folded into a thick bechamel for the stuffing. We bake them with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs a drizzle of olive oil and double cream. True comfort food.
The best peppers come from Lodosa in Navarro and have a D.O. certification. Peruvian peppers are common. Those from Navarra have a sweet and smoky flavour. Harvested at the end of summer into autumn, they are prepared by artisans who grill them on charcoal and then peel them by hand.
