Piquizos

Winner of the 2007 Student Second Prize

Submitted by Emily Marquis & Jen Fitzsimmons of the Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, New York

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

3 ounces La Amarilla Intenso Extra Virgin olive oil
6 ounces carrots, cut in 1/8” dice
8 ounces onions, cut in 1/8” dice
6 ounces celery root, cut in 1/8” dice
4 ounces tomato paste
8 ounces smoked chorizo, casing removed and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup Spanish Cabrales cheese, crumbled
8-10 Spanish piquillo peppers, drained
2 teaspoon of Spanish pimentón, picante

3 Spanish Cazuela Tapas dishes

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 1 ounce of the olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and celery root and caramelize. Stir frequently to ensure that the vegetables do not burn on the bottom of the pan.

Once the vegetables are deep golden brown, add the tomato paste. Continue cooking and stirring until the tomato paste is a nice deep brick red color.

Add chorizo and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and gently fold in the Cabrales cheese. And salt and pepper to taste. Carefully stuff each piquillo pepper.

Lightly oil cazuelas with oil olive. Place three Piquizos in each; bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining La Amarilla Intenso Extra Virgin olive oil and sprinkle with pimentón. 

Serve immediately.