STUFF IT, CONT.

 

Green frying peppers are filled with potato-egg tortilla mixture, then gently fried until peppers are tender and filling is set.  

Maybe because I adored my grandmother’s stuffed peppers (ground beef and rice, baked in a tomato sauce), but I’m crazy for stuffed stuff. I’ve been wanting to try a trending Spanish recipe, pimientos rellenos con tortilla, green peppers filled with potato tortilla. With the garden sending up too many green frying peppers, now’s my opportunity. 

Peppers with a tortilla stuffing may sound a little odd, but they are sensationally good. Serve them, one per person, as a starter or all three as a main dish accompanied by rice and a fresh tomato sauce. Or slice them and serve with toothpicks as an appetizer.

Green Peppers with Tortilla Stuffing

Pimientos Rellenos de Tortilla

If possible choose peppers that are more or less straight. The kinky ones are harder to fill. They can be any length. After the peppers are fried, the blistered skins can be removed if you wish.

Makes 3 stuffed peppers, 18 slices.

3 medium potatoes (12 ounces)

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped onion

1 ounce chorizo (optional)

2 eggs

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 (5-inch) green frying peppers

1 tablespoon flour

Bread to accompany

Tomato sauce to serve (optional)

Peel the potatoes, cut them in quarters and slice the quarters thinly. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the potatoes. Lower heat to medium and cook the potatoes, stirring frequently, until they are tender, but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add the onion. Remove casing from the chorizo and chop it. Add to the potatoes and fry 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat. Either skim out the potatoes, onions and chorizo, reserving the oil, or tip the potatoes into a sieve placed over a bowl and let the oil drain.

Spoon filling into pepper.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper. Stir in the potatoes. Mix well and let them set 15 minutes to soak up the egg. 

Cut the stems off the peppers and shake out the seeds. Place a pepper upright in a glass (or hold it in one hand). Use a teaspoon to fill the pepper with the potato-egg mixture. Place the pepper on a plate while filling the remaining peppers. 

Return 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil to the skillet and heat it. Dip the open end of each pepper in the flour then place it, floured end down, in the oil to fry. When flour is browned and the opening sealed, place the peppers on their sides and continue frying them on medium-low until they are lightly browned on all sides and the skin blistered in places, about 20 minutes. Remove the peppers. If desired, the skins can be removed.

Serve peppers whole or sliced.

Serve the peppers whole, one per person, or slice them crosswise and serve on a plate with toothpicks. Accompany with bread. If desired, they can be served with tomato sauce.

It occurs to me that this recipe would be really speedy if the tortilla mixture was made with potato chips instead of frying potatoes. See the recipe here.

More ways to stuff peppers:

Meat-Stuffed Peppers with Chunky Tomato Sauce.

Peppers Stuffed with Tuna.

Microwave Stuffed Peppers.

Piquillo Peppers with Mushroom Stuffing.

Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Shrimp.