SAUSAGE-STUFFED PIQUILLO PEPPERS

Sausage-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers image

There's nothing quite like the piquillo pepper. They're sweet, fruity, slightly smoky, and just bitter enough. For me, they're the San Marzano tomatoes of peppers. And while I enjoy them in literally anything, these delicate, triangular beauties are just made for stuffing.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Appetizers and Snacks Tapas

Time 45m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

8 teaspoons olive oil, or as needed, divided
4 ounces chorizo sausage, casings removed and meat crumbled
½ cup diced green onion
salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup cooked long-grain white rice
2 ounces goat cheese
1 large egg
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 blood orange, zested and juiced
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
12 piquillo peppers
2 tablespoons chopped almonds

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush a baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute sausage, green onion, and a pinch of salt in hot oil until meat is browned and crumbly and onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
Mix rice, goat cheese, egg, 2 tablespoons parsley, garlic, cumin, 1 teaspoon blood orange zest, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Spoon rice mixture into each pepper. Place stuffed peppers in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Scatter almonds over the top, drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
Bake in the preheated oven until stuffed peppers are heated through and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon blood orange juice, remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, and remaining parsley over the top.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 128.3 calories, Carbohydrate 6.8 g, Cholesterol 27.5 mg, Fat 9.4 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 5 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 928.1 mg, Sugar 0.3 g