Piquillo peppers stuffed with monkfish and seafood

Ingredients

• 6tinned piquillo peppers for stuffing
• 3 tablespoonspink sauce
• 2hard-boiled eggs
• 150 gfresh monkfish
• 1cooked local spider crab
• to tastesalt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150 mldouble cream (35% fat)
• 2piquillo peppers
• to tastesalt and freshly ground black pepper
• to tastesmall leaves of fresh herbs

Instructions

1. 1

   Steam the monkfish

   Steam the monkfish for 5–6 minutes.

2. 2

   Pick the crab

   Open the spider crab and remove all the meat and its cooking juices into a bowl.

3. 3

   Mash the eggs

   Cook the eggs, mash them with a fork in a bowl and set aside one yolk for the final decoration.

4. 4

   Blend and season

   Blend until ready, then taste and adjust the salt if needed. Pink sauce contains Tabasco, so the filling is already well seasoned; avoid adding too much salt to the topping.

5. 5

   Mix the filling

   Cut the monkfish and spider crab into small pieces with a knife and put them in a bowl; do not blend them, as the pieces make the filling more enjoyable to eat. Add the mashed eggs, the tablespoons of pink sauce and a little salt.

6. 6

   Check the seasoning

   Mix well, taste and adjust the salt if needed.

7. 7

   Fill the peppers

   Fill the peppers generously, using a spoon or a piping bag.

8. 8

   Make the sauce

   Put the cream in a saucepan over the heat and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cut the piquillo peppers into four pieces and add them; heat briefly, turn off the heat and blend.

9. 9

   Serve and decorate

   Arrange the stuffed peppers and decorate them with the cream sauce, using a squeeze bottle if you have one. Serve the remaining sauce in a sauceboat and finish with small green herb leaves or shoots.

What are stuffed piquillo peppers?

Piquillo peppers are small, sweet red peppers from Spain, often sold roasted and ready to fill. Stuffed peppers are a familiar feature of Spanish cooking, served as a tapa or starter, and their mild sweetness works particularly well with seafood.

This version combines monkfish and spider crab with egg and pink sauce, then adds a smooth cream and piquillo sauce. Keeping the seafood in small pieces gives the filling a more interesting bite.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 550 calories, 33g protein, 14g carbs, 39g fat.

The eggs, monkfish and spider crab provide most of the protein, while the peppers and pink sauce contribute carbohydrates. The cream and pink sauce account for much of the fat; serve with a green salad or extra vegetables to balance the plate.

Choosing the peppers and seafood

Peppers for stuffing: Look for whole, intact piquillos labelled for filling, as they are easier to handle. Drain them gently and take care not to tear them as you open them.

Seafood: Use cooked spider crab and fresh monkfish. The recipe steams the monkfish briefly, while the crab meat and its juices bring a distinct seafood flavour to the filling.

Keep the filling in pieces

Knife-cut seafood: Cut the monkfish and crab by hand rather than blending them. Small pieces remain noticeable in each mouthful and help the filling keep its texture.

Egg and sauce: Mash the eggs with a fork and fold them into the seafood with the pink sauce. Taste before adding much salt, since the sauce is already seasoned.

Watch the monkfish timing

Steaming: The monkfish needs 5–6 minutes, as specified in the method. Check that it is cooked through but still moist before cutting it for the filling.

Cream sauce: Heat the cream with the seasoning and peppers only briefly, then take the pan off the heat before blending. This keeps the preparation straightforward and gives the sauce a smooth finish.

Fill without tearing

Gentle handling: Support each pepper as you fill it, since preserved peppers can be delicate. A spoon works well, while a piping bag can make filling them neater.

Generous portions: Divide the filling between the six peppers, keeping enough room to close or arrange each one without forcing it.

Serving the peppers

Sauce on the side: Spoon or drizzle some piquillo cream over the peppers and serve the rest separately. That lets diners add more without hiding the filling.

Fresh finish: The recipe suggests small herb leaves or shoots and a reserved egg yolk for decoration. Serve as a starter, or pair with a simple green salad for a more substantial plate.

Recipe notes & tips

• Drain the tinned peppers gently so excess liquid does not thin the filling.
• Let the steamed monkfish cool enough to handle before cutting it into small pieces.
• Pick through the crab meat carefully for any shell fragments.
• Taste the filling before adding extra salt, as pink sauce is already well seasoned.
• Use a piping bag if you want to fill the peppers with less mess.
• Blend the cream sauce after taking the pan off the heat.

Variations

• More herbs: Fold finely chopped fresh herbs into the filling for a fragrant note.
• Extra lemon: Add a little lemon juice to the seafood filling for a brighter flavour.
• Different seafood: Replace some of the crab with cooked prawns, cut into small pieces.
• Milder sauce: Use less black pepper in the cream sauce for a gentler finish.
• Warm serving: Briefly warm the filled peppers before adding the sauce, taking care not to overheat them.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Blending the seafood: It can make the filling pasty; cut the monkfish and crab by hand instead.
• Over-salting: Pink sauce is already seasoned; taste the filling before adding more salt.
• Tearing the peppers: Handle them gently and use a spoon or piping bag to fill them.
• Overcooking the monkfish: Steam it for the stated 5–6 minutes and check that it remains moist.
• Boiling the cream sauce: Heat it briefly, then switch off the heat before blending.

How to store

Store leftover stuffed peppers and sauce separately in covered containers in the fridge and eat within 1–2 days. Reheat gently until hot throughout; avoid prolonged heating, which can dry the seafood.

Frequently asked questions