Piquillos: The Little Beak with Big Bite

I first tasted roasted Piquillo peppers at Chef Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc restaurant, in the Napa Valley.  Not only were the peppers beautifully presented, filled with a slow-roasted beef short rib stuffing and served over pearled cous cous in a cast iron skillet, they were incredibly delicious.  Sweet and spicy.  I wanted to eat them every day.  Unfortunately, back home in North Carolina, no local supermarket sold them and online shopping was not what it is today.  I tried to recreate the dish I loved, using other canned, roasted peppers as a substitute, but the flavor did not compare to those little red peppers.

A few years ago, I decided to plant Piquillo peppers at Heart & Sole Gardens.  Cultivated primarily in Northern Spain, Piquillos are thick-fleshed sweet peppers that sport a pointed tip end, hence, the Spanish name, which translates to "little beak."  After ordering seeds from the New Mexico Chile Pepper Institute, I looked forward to growing and harvesting Piquillos in North Carolina, but as with many heirloom crops that are not adapted to particular geographic regions, my first pepper yield was disappointing.  This year, after years of saving seeds from the best specimens, Piquillos seem to like our western NC climate and, finally, I have enough peppers to make the dish I love and preserve some for later use.

Before adapting to NC climate, Piquillo peppers frequently rotted before ripening

When perfectly ripe, Piquillo peppers are easy to roast and peel.  With a sharp knife, slice the stem end from each pepper and use your fingers to remove the seeds.  Place peppers on a baking sheet, lined with foil.  With the oven rack set to the highest position, broil peppers, turning often, until they are charred on all sides.  Immediately, remove from the oven and place peppers in a brown paper bag and fold the top of the bag to close.  Allow peppers to cool and then slip the charred skin from the pepper's flesh.  Use immediately or freeze roasted Piquillos. 

Dry pepper seeds to save for future planting

Perhaps there are other NC farmers who grow Piquillos, but I have yet to see them at a local farmer's market.  With a rich flavor that trumps other stuffing peppers, I predict that fresh Piquillos will prove to be popular with consumers.  Until they become available, try growing your own plant next summer, in your garden or a container.  For now, experiment with supermarket canned Piquillos, but look forward to enjoying fresh ones in the future. 

Stuffed Piquillo peppers make a pretty presentation