The nora pepper is an almost spherical dried pepper known as “ball pepper”. It is red, hard, meaty and not very hot.
Its aroma is penetrating and its flavour sweet. It is highly valued in cooking for its strong, singular flavour for stews, sauces and rice dishes. As an ingredient in sauces and fried dishes they are exquisite. In Alicante they make a delicious dish based on nora peppers: pericana. It is also a prominent ingredient in romesco sauce.
Nora peppers must have their stems removed, be cut in half, their seeds removed and be submerged in tepid or cold water until they are hydrated, placing a weight on them so they do not float. Once soft, a spoon is all that is need to separate the meat from the skin, scraping it out.
Use it for cooking fish, shellfish, chicken, pork loin or rabbit, as well as sautéing cauliflower, cooking squash, chickpeas, spinach – and even cheese and honey fillings.
The nora pepper is obtained through a process of sun drying on large surfaces or dunes.
One nora pepper is enough to flavour a good rice dish, especially one of fish or shellfish or to make any sauce delicious.
