blistered shishito peppers
{vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free, plant-based}
Summer is right around the corner and it is getting HOT in our little house. So, we be grillin'! No joke, I actually asked Josh if I could make my homemade bread in the grill rather than turning on the oven (he advised against it). We always order shishito peppers at our favorite Japanese restaurant, and lately we've been seeing them at our farmer's market. I don't know why it took so long, but finally we decided to make them ourselves!
I've always been curious why shisito peppers can sometimes be spicy or very mild. Apparently, one out of every ten peppers is spicy. Either way, they are very easy to cook and quite tasty! In this case we grilled them, but they can also be sauteed or broiled and have a similar effect. We devoured these suckers like a bag of potato chips--but no fear, they're essentially guilt-free! We used some olive oil, sea salt and lemon to flavor the peppers, but if you want more of an Asian flare, add a dash of soy sauce to finish or sesame seed oil in lieu of olive oil.
Total: 15 minutes| Prep: about 1 minute | Cook: 10-15 minutes | Serves 4 as an appetizer
//Tools//
tongs for the grill, or a wooden spoon for the stovetop
bowl or dish to prep peppers
grill or stove-top if necessary
grill basket or saute pan for stove-top
//Ingredients//
4 cups shishito peppers
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
coarse sea salt
lemon juice (about one quarter of a lemon)
//Directions//
1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, around 400 degrees. Toss peppers in olive and sesame oil to coat, and sea salt to taste.
2. Once the grill is heated, add the peppers to a grill basket or pan; make sure they have some space and are not overlapping too much. Grill peppers until they are soft and blistered, about 10-15 minutes, tossing and turning as needed. Alternatively, heat a wide saute pan with the oil. Add the peppers and cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring to avoid being overly charred.
3. Remove the peppers from the heat and place them back in their original dish. Squeeze the lemon over the peppers and season with more coarse sea salt to taste. Stir and serve immediately. Enjoy!
//Notes//
