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When it comes to great products from the farmers market, you don’t always have to have an elaborate plan. These blistered shishito peppers come together extraordinarily fast, and are an excellent side dish for any occasion.
What are Shishito Peppers?
Shishito peppers are a mostly mild, though one in ten might be extra spicy. It’s a bit like playing roulette, but obviously much lower stakes. They have very thin skins that toast up and get crispy when you toss them in a hot cast iron pan. I love the textural contrast between the skins and the soft flesh inside.
Shishito peppers are in season in late summer: August and September. They will turn red as they mature on the plant, but they are most often seen in their “green” state. The red peppers will tend to have more sweetness in flavor. Green peppers have a more grassy flavor. Both have about a 1 in 10 shot of being extra-spicy.
The shishito pepper gets its name from the Japanese for “lion’s head,” shishi. If you look at the pepper with the tip facing you, it is said to resemble the lion’s head itself, though in Korea, they are known as kkwari-gochu, or “groundcherry pepper,” since the pepper looks a lot like ground cherries in their husks.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Shishito Peppers
I’m going to focus on substitutions here, as I’ve said much more about these peppers in the above section. Good substitutes include Spanish Padron peppers, and baby sweet peppers. The baby sweet peppers have thicker skins, so the cook time for these will differ from that in this recipe.
Avocado Oil
Due to the high temperatures, I recommend oils that won’t break down at high temperatures. I do not recommend any nut oils or olive oil for this recipe. I prefer avocado oil to vegetable oil, though either will work here.
For a slightly different flavor profile, you could use coconut oil. But be prepared for a coconut flavor in the background of the final dish.
Cast Iron Pan
Yes, I know, this isn’t an edible ingredient, but it is important nonetheless. The key to getting super crispy skins is having an extra hot pan, and the cast iron is the best way to do this. Cast iron retains heat, and can handle extra high temperatures.
Serving Suggestions for Blistered Shishito Peppers
Blistered shishito peppers work with just about every protein. I served these with a sliced steak, but if tofu is your thing, I say go for it! These would also make an excellent topping for a stir fry.
This would also be a great dish while camping: doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, and it cooks quickly on a fire. I wouldn’t recommend it for backpacking, unless my husband is volunteering to pack the cast iron pan!
Quick Blistered Shishito Peppers
When it comes to great products from the farmers market, you don't always have to have an elaborate plan. These blistered shishito peppers come together extraordinarily fast, and are an excellent side dish for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 pint Shishito Peppers
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt (or any flaky salt)
- ¼ tsp White Sesame Seeds
- ¼ tsp Black Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Toss shishito peppers in avocado oil until each pepper is well coated.
- Heat a 10 inch cast iron pan on the stove until very hot (the stove should be on a high setting)
- Add shishito peppers to pan and arrange in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook until one side is charred and blistered, about 3 minutes, and then flip peppers. Cook another 3 minutes, or until both sides of the peppers are charred and crispy.
- Sprinkle salt and white and black sesame seeds over peppers.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
This recipe scales up easily, but increase the diameter of the pan along with the amount of peppers. Or, alternatively, cook in batches.
