"This dish came from staff meals, where we always have a big pot of aromatic rice ready to share," says chef Marcelo Munoz. "I love rice. It's a classic Spanish thing, to stuff things with rice."
Bar Louise's piquillo peppers with spiced rice
Stuffed peppers are a Spanish staple - and these ones filled with spiced rice belong on any table.
- 30 mins preparation
- 30 mins cooking (plus soaking, standing)
- Serves 12
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Ingredients
- 40 gm currants
- 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 each cinnamon quill and clove
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ tbsp Turkish pepper paste or tomato paste (see note)
- 250 gm bomba or arborio rice (see note)
- 375 ml (1½ cups) vegetable stock, hot
- 2½ tbsp finely chopped dill
- 25 gm pine nuts, toasted
- 12 bottled piquillo peppers (35gm each; see note)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Mixed olives, to serve
Method
- 1Place currants in a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Stand for 30 minutes; drain.
- 2Heat oil in a large heavy-based deep-sided, ovenproof frying pan with a lid over low-medium heat. Add onion, garlic, spices, chilli, and bay leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent (8-10 minutes) Stir in paste and cook, stirring frequently until lightly toasted (2 minutes). Stir in rice and cook, stirring frequently until well coated (1 minutes). Increase heat to medium-high and stir in currants and hot stock; bring to the boil and season to taste.
- 3Preheat oven to 200˚C. Place lid on pan and cook in oven until stock is absorbed and rice is cooked (18 minutes); stand covered on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, remove whole spices and bay, stir in dill and pine nuts, season to taste.
- 4Gently stuff peppers with spiced rice and place on a large serving platter. Drizzle with lemon juice and extra oil. Serve with mixed olives on the side.
Notes
Bomba rice, a short-grain rice used for paella, is available from select delicatessens. Piquillo peppers, a Spanish variety of pepper roasted over fire, then peeled and canned, are available from The Essential Ingredient, Simon Johnson and select delicatessens. If unavailable, substitute roasted, peeled red capsicum.
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