Pimientos de Padrón

Pimientos de Padrón are a Spanish pepper (I use shishito peppers - long green, slightly thinner than padrone and less chance of hitting a really hot one (maybe 1 in 10) Just heat some il in a pan and fry the peppers, turning them to get all sides, until they start to blister, take them off and apply coarse salt - the oil on the peppers tends to make the salt stick.

You just pick the up by the tail (stem) and bite them off - good eating combined with the anticipation of who might get the hot one (aka pepper roulette). I expect that most are consumed with cerveza but a crisp white wine works well too.

https://www.friedas.com/demystifying-sh ... n-peppers/

One of our favorites here for light snacks to serve with wine or cocktails (although we usually go with shishitos). Gotta go with inexpensive, "quaffable" wines, though. If you get the hot pepper, it will pretty much blow your mouth out for a while, and you'll be insensitive to any sort of nuances in flavor.

Just heat some il in a pan and fry the peppers, turning them to get all sides, until they start to blister, take them off and apply coarse salt...

I used to do that, but the past few years have been going with roasting instead. It's much more forgiving, as opposed to pan cooking where you have to constantly watch to get them blistered-but-not-burned. Especially when cooking for my wife, who is extremely averse to all carbonized bits of food.

Just heat some il in a pan and fry the peppers, turning them to get all sides, until they start to blister, take them off and apply coarse salt...

I used to do that, but the past few years have been going with roasting instead. It's much more forgiving, as opposed to pan cooking where you have to constantly watch to get them blistered-but-not-burned. Especially when cooking for my wife, who is extremely averse to all carbonized bits of food.

Interesting. I flip-flop on how to handle chestnuts but I had not even considered using the oven for shishitos.

I hope everyone knows to use a toothpick to prick the stem end of the pepper before cooking (to make a vent for steam).

Interesting. I flip-flop on how to handle chestnuts but I had not even considered using the oven for shishitos..

I suppose the texture is slightly different on the roasted shishitos, they deflate and go limper, but it's all fine by me.

Yes, I continue to be in awe of your chestnut roasting. I did that a few times in my 20s when I was adventurous, but now it's too much work! I keep meaning to make a chestnut soup, and I'm sure the flavor would be better with fresh-roasted, but will probably just use the vacuum-packed roasted chestnuts I always keep around...

Shishitos are very popular here in the wild west, especially Asian type restaurants. Grocery stores have them when in season and I always buy them. The Farmer's Market has them as well. Great snack or a fun side.

[Jenise]

I'm a fan of char, one stage beyond mere blistering. Been stir frying regular green bell peppers (cut into large dice) that way since childhood, they've always been a favorite food. My first experience with Padrons in Madrid took everything I loved about that childhood food to another level!

We like the char as well. That goes for things like roasted broccoli and brussels sprouts as well as shishitos and padrons.

I've never tried poking them with a toothpick and they turn out well, but I'll give that a try next time. Maybe we're missing something.

[Jenise]

Speaking of shisitos, try sprinkling them with bonito flakes some time!