Shishito Pepper Roulette – Blistered Shishito Peppers
The best summer foods to grow in your garden are the ones that have the simplest preparations for the table. Asian shishito peppers are one of those foods. They grow easily and abundantly, and when it’s time for harvest, you pick them, sear them for a few minutes in a couple of tablespoons of oil, and sprinkle them with flaky salt. No cutting or marinating or prepping in any way.
Then you can eat them whole – the entire pepper in one bite – minus the stem.
At this point however, you are playing a game of chance. Like Russian roulette, albeit far less serious, you are gambling when you eat shishito peppers; most are mild, with thin skins and few seeds, but about 1 in 10 come with a fiery heat. It’s not overbearing, but it definitely comes as a surprise after having a few of the milder ones and not expecting it.
Last year my crop was delicious, although it lacked a single spicy pepper. This year I switched varieties to Takara Hybrid, as I described when it was Time To Order Seeds, and I was rewarded with an abundance of both mild and hot peppers that will continue to grow and provide a harvest well into the fall.
Blistered Shishito Peppers
If you do not grow your own, you can now find bags of shishito peppers at most supermarkets. When cooking for others, cook up the entire bag, and your guests will gobble them up. A dish of shishito peppers makes a perfect appetizer with apéritifs or as one great course if serving small plates.
One note: Make sure the peppers are dry before you cook them. Water on the peppers will just steam them, preventing the sear you are looking for.
5 minutes, 4 servings as an appetizer or small plate
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
6 to 8 oz. shishito peppers
sprinkle of flaky sea salt or kosher salt
- Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high until it shimmers, but before it smokes, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add shishito peppers and let them stand for about a minute without stirring them. This will allow one edge to blister.
- After about a minute, give the peppers a stir and allow another edge to blister.
- After another minute, stir and cook the peppers until they are just starting to wilt.
- Remove the peppers to a serving platter and sprinkle with salt. Eat while hot.
