I think this dish actually looked better when I plated it up
yesterday for a lunch at my new apartment than it does in this photo taken this morning (no battery yesterday). I stuffed the piquillos* with chorizo and soft cheese and pan sautéed them in
olive oil (of course!). I made the pesto
with hazelnuts just because pine nuts are horribly expensive and I don’t want
to support the pine nut industrial complex. I need to start harvesting my basil
plant in earnest now because I think it has reached its peak. This recipe is a keeper and will be on the menu of my restaurant.
*Piquillos are peppers
grown in northern Spain, roasted and canned. They are sweet and spicy and
amazing. The name means little beak because they are triangular when processed
and look like a bird’s beak, sort of.
I always thought the sub for pine-nuts was almonds, though hazelnuts sounds inspired. - cyph
ReplyDeleteI read that too and still went with hazelnuts. I think it was OK and the nuts are the least distinctive flavor in the combination but it's not like I'd recommend the hazelnuts. OK, I'll admit it. It's only because I already had some in my pantry. If pesto were a Spanish dish the recipe police would have already busted my door down and hauled me off to some sort of re-education camp.
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