100min 4 ppl
Stuffed Peppers Basquaise
142 minutes
4 people
Hardover 60 min or 12+ steps
142 min · 10 steps
Hard: over 60 min or 12+ steps
520 kcalper person
Protein 14g
Carbs 58g
Fats 22g
About this dish
Slow-cooked peppers stuffed with a saffron-scented rice and piperade filling — the Basque trinity of tomato, onion and piment d'Espelette does the heavy lifting, giving the filling a deep, jammy sweetness that sets this apart from generic stuffed peppers.
Allergy Info
Dairy, Sulphites
Diet Info
Vegetarian
Ingredients
Fresh Produce
- Red Bell Pepperslarge, tops sliced off and reserved, seeds and membranes removed4 whole
- Yellow onionsmedium, finely diced2 whole
- Garlic clovesfinely sliced4 cloves
- Green peppersfinely diced2 whole
- Ripe tomatoespeeled, seeded, and roughly chopped600 g
- Flat-leaf parsleysmall, leaves finely chopped1 bunch
Dairy & Eggs
- Ossau-Iraty or Manchego Cheesefinely grated80 g
Tins & Jars
- Tomato paste1 tbsp
- Vegetable stock120 ml
Dried Goods
- Long-Grain White Ricerinsed180 g
- Warm water2 tbsp
Spices & Seasonings
- Piment d'Espelette1 tsp
- Smoked sweet paprika1 tsp
- Saffron threadscrumbled0.25 tsp
- Fine sea saltplus more to taste1 tsp
- Black pepperfreshly ground0.5 tsp
Oils & Condiments
- Olive oildivided4 tbsp
- Dry white wine120 ml
Utensils
- Wide Heavy-Based Pan
- Snug-Fitting Baking Dish
- Pastry brush
- Aluminium foil
Method
1
Dice the reserved pepper tops, discarding the stem. Peel, seed, and chop the tomatoes. Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clear. Crumble the saffron into 2 tbsp warm water and set aside to bloom.
Approx. 10 minutes
2
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes until deeply golden and soft.
Approx. 14 minutes
3
Add the sliced garlic and diced green pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 6–8 minutes until the pepper is completely tender and the garlic is fragrant but not coloured.
Approx. 7 minutes
4
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, piment d'Espelette, smoked paprika, and bloomed saffron with its water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15–18 minutes until the mixture is thick, jammy, and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Approx. 17 minutes
5
Stir in the rinsed rice and chopped parsley until fully coated in the piperade. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool for 10 minutes — the rice will be par-cooked by the residual heat.
Approx. 10 minutes
6
Preheat the oven to 190°C, or 170°C for a fan oven, or 375°F. Stand the peppers upright in a snug-fitting baking dish. Brush the outside of each pepper with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil.
Approx. 6 minutes
7
Spoon the filling generously into each pepper, packing it lightly to within 1 cm of the rim to allow the rice to expand. Scatter half the grated cheese over the filling.
Approx. 6 minutes
8
Pour the white wine and vegetable stock into the base of the baking dish around the peppers. Cover the dish tightly with foil and roast for 45 minutes until the peppers are tender and the rice is cooked through.
Approx. 45 minutes
9
Remove the foil, scatter the remaining cheese over the tops, and return to the oven for a further 15–18 minutes until the cheese is golden and the pepper skins are blistered and lightly charred at the edges.
Approx. 17 minutes
10
Rest the peppers in the dish for 10 minutes before serving, spooning the reduced pan juices over each one as a sauce.
Approx. 10 minutes
