STUFFED PIQUILLOS

Stuffed Piquillos image

The sweetness of the pepper with the sharpness of chorizo is a great pairing and the lemon from the potatoes isn't lost. Great as a starter or an hors d'oeuvre for a party.

Provided by Food Network

Categories main-dish

Time 1h2m

Yield 16 to 18 peppers

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup panko
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 ounces Manchego cheese, shredded
2 cups leftover Lemon Olive Oil Herb Mash , recipe follows
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into small dice
16 to 18 canned piquillo peppers, drained (about one 14-ounce can)
2 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
Kosher salt
1/3 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for 30 seconds, shaking the pan to move around the garlic until it starts to turn golden. Add the panko and toast until crisp, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the panko with salt and pepper, toss with the parsley and let cool. Gently mix together the Manchego, mashed potatoes and chorizo and set aside. Stuff each pepper with 2 tablespoons of the mixture. Dip the opening of each pepper in panko, and then roll around in the panko to lightly coat. Lay out the peppers on the prepared baking sheet and bake until warmed through and the panko is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.;
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water by about 1 inch and add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer briskly until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1/4 cup of the water. Return the potatoes to the pan. Shake the pan over medium heat for about a minute to dry the potatoes. Remove from the heat. Add the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and the reserved cooking water to the potatoes. Mash the potatoes, skins and all, with a traditional potato masher to an even consistency. Fold in the herbs and season with salt. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings