Peppers "del Piquillo" stuffed with cod

Ingredients for 4 persons :

• 2 white onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs or a large tablespoon of wheat flour
• A drop of dry white wine
• 20 piquillo peppers
• Ground pepper to taste
• Salt to taste, optional

1. To start this recipe, we will start from the fact that the cod is already desalted (for those who do not use fresh fish). The fish should already be clean, skinned and completely free of bones, or any other part that could detract from the smooth texture of the flesh of the fish, which will be the base of our stuffing for the piquillo peppers.
2. The next thing to do is crumble the cod. Next, heat some water in a saucepan, and boil the fish. Once the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and remove the pan. Then, drain the fish using a colander.
3. At this point, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
4. To continue, put the fish aside, then we'll take care of the onion. Peel it and cut it into small pieces. We will do the same with the garlic: peel the cloves and chop them very finely.
5. Heat a skillet with a good drizzle of oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic pieces in it, taking care to stir them frequently. Wait until the onion starts to turn slightly transparent and the garlic starts to turn slightly golden.
6. At this point, add flour or breadcrumbs. Cook for a few minutes and add a little wine. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes to reduce the alcohol a bit.
7. Then add the shredded cod, which should be well drained and dry. Use a spatula or kitchen spoon to break up any large chunks that may remain.
8. At this point, add a touch of pepper to the cod, and also add salt only in cases where fresh fish is used. Avoid this ingredient when using desalted fish, as there is always enough residual salt to flavor the dish. Then mix very well.
9. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the fish changes color.
10. Then run the mixture through a blender or mash it enough to make a thick paste (if you prefer a chunky stuffing, you can skip this step).
11. Now take the peppers from the piquillo and fill them very gently with the mixture we have just prepared. As we fill them, we arrange them in a baking dish or plate to bake them in the oven.
12. Then, using a pastry brush, coat them very lightly with oil and bake in the oven for twenty minutes.
13. After this time, remove the peppers from the oven and they are ready to eat.