What are Roasted Pepper Rolls stuffed with Fish and Capers?
– Sweet Romano peppers, roasted until tender and filled with a creamy mixture of fish, capers and herbs. This dish comes from Southern Italy – Puglia, Sicily, and Calabria regions.
Recipe Intro
As a crazy lover of peppers, especially roasted peppers, and a fish/seafood lover, I find this dish divine. I grew up with a few versions of stuffed peppers with meat or rice in tomato sauce, so any dish featuring peppers holds a special place in my heart. It brings back fond memories of home-cooked meals and cherished family gatherings.
This dish is a perfect Mediterranean meal, ideal as a starter or a main course. It is also popular on occasions like Good Friday when many opt for lighter fare. With its origins in Southern Italy, it’s a hit across the Mediterranean with different versions and ingredient choices.
Roasted pepper rolls are visually appealing and perfect for impressing guests with minimal effort. plus they are easy to make.
Essential Ingredients and Substitutes
- Romano peppers – These peppers serve as the base for the dish, providing a mild sweetness and tender texture. Buy as large as possible.
Instead of Romano peppers, you can use colourful sweet peppers to add a vibrant twist to the dish. These peppers offer a sweeter flavour and come in different colours.
For a quick and easy festive meal or when guests arrive unexpectedly, you can use jarred roasted peppers. Look for whole roasted peppers, not the sliced ones. - fish – Choose a mild-flavoured white fish such as cod, haddock, or tilapia for the filling. Its delicate taste pairs well with the other ingredients. While white fish works best for this recipe, you can also use other seafood options such as shrimp or crab for a variation in flavor.
- tartare-like sauce – This is not a traditional tartare sauce; it includes only 1.5-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise just to bind the fish with capers and herbs.
Alternatively, you can use a ready-made tartare sauce and enhance it with extra capers, gherkins, and herbs for a more intense flavour
How to make roasted pepper rolls
Roasting peppers:
Wash and dry the peppers before roasting them in the oven. There’s no need for oil or seasoning. Once roasted, transfer the peppers to a large bowl and cover them with foil to sweat. Let them rest for 10-15 minutes or until they’ve cooled enough to handle. Carefully peel off the skin, which should come off easily after sweating. Then, slit one side of each pepper to open it up and create a large flat surface for spreading the filling. Carefully remove its core with the seeds. Cut in half lengthwise.
Don’t worry if the peppers blacken while roasting; it’s actually a good thing. Once the skin is removed, it will reveal perfectly roasted peppers.
Stuffing for the peppers:
Cook your choice of white fish in salted water (1 tsp od salt) for 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, allow it to cool. Remove any skin and check for bones. Place the fish in a bowl and mash it with a fork.
Very finely chop the herbs, gherkin, and capers, then add them to the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix everything well.
Making roasted pepper rolls:
Place a couple of teaspoons of the fish mixture onto each pepper. The amount may vary depending on the size of the peppers. Put the mixture on one side of the pepper and then roll it up, as shown in the photo. If you plan to slice the rolls for presentation if very large), spread the mixture over two-thirds of the pepper and then roll it up to create a roulade look.
Finally, mix some good-quality olive oil with fresh parsley and minced garlic. Drizzle this mixture over the roasted pepper rolls before serving.
Serving roasted pepper rolls
Roasted pepper rolls with fish and capers are versatile and can be served in various ways.
Serve them with potato mash, simple boiled potatoes, or pasta with pesto for a light and refreshing main meal. Or alongside a crisp salad for a satisfying yet wholesome dining experience.
These rolls can also be enjoyed as both a hot or cold appetiser, making them perfect for any occasion.
For serving, you can prepare a simple parsley, garlic, and olive oil dressing to drizzle over the rolls. Alternatively, they can be served with just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or any other sauce, allowing for a customisable dining experience.
Recipe Card
Roasted Pepper Rolls stuffed with creamy fish and capers
Ingredients
- 6 large Romano peppers
FISH STUFFING
- 500 g cod - or other white fish (haddock, hake)
- 1 tbsp chopped capers
- 1 tbsp finely chopped gherkin
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 tsp dill
- 2 cloves minced garlic - or finely chopped
- 1-2 tbsp light mayonnaise
- 1 lemon ( juice) - juice
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper - to taste
FOR DRESSING
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil ( unfiltered)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic - optional
Instructions
- Place the fish fillets in cold water and add salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Wash and roast the peppers in a preheated oven at 200°C for approximately 15-20 minutes. Once they have darkened, flip them over and roast for another 5-7 minutes or until darkened. Remove them from the oven and place them in a bowl, cover them for 5-10 minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the cores and seeds and peel the skin.
- Once the fish is cooled down, remove the skin and check for any bones.In a bowl, place the cooked fish and add chopped capers, gherking and parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, minced garlic, and bind everything with mayonnaise.
- Cut each pepper in half and fill them with approximately one or two spoonfuls of filling. Roll them up, arrange them on a plate, and drizzle with olive oil and parsley.
Notes
Do you like stuffed peppers?
What’s a traditional filling for peppers in your country, if there is one? What’s your favourite filling? Feel free to comment. And if you try out this delicious recipe, do let me know how it turns out!