Pimientos de Padrón
(pee-MYEN-tos de pah-DRON)
Chapter 3: Hot Tapas
There are exactly three ingredients here, which means there is absolutely nowhere to hide. Replicating the smoky, chaotic energy of a great tapas joint requires a hot pan, good Spanish olive oil, and the culinary Russian roulette of these blistered little peppers—where one in ten will inexplicably light you up. If you cannot find authentic Padróns, Japanese shishitos are a perfectly acceptable substitute used by almost every major tapas bar in the States. Just dry them religiously, fry them aggressively, and shower them with flaky salt the second they hit the plate.
Before you start
Meticulously dry the peppers.
Water is the enemy of a good blister. Hours before your guests arrive, lay the washed peppers on a clean kitchen towel and dry them thoroughly. Any residual moisture will cause the oil to violently splatter. Leave them at room temperature until the party starts.
Ingredients
- Padrón or shishito peppers8 oz
- Spanish extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- flaky sea salt1 tsp
Method
- 01
Get a heavy skillet aggressively hot.
Place a large cast-iron or heavy stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat. You want the pan hot enough to sear, but not quite smoking.
- 02
Add the olive oil and let it shimmer.
Pour in the extra virgin olive oil. Do not substitute neutral oils like canola or grapeseed here; the fruity, peppery Spanish oil is half the flavor of the dish.
- 03
Blister the peppers in a single layer.
Toss in the completely dry peppers. Do not overcrowd the pan, or they will boil in their own steam. Let them sit undisturbed for 30 to 45 seconds to build a dark char on the bottom, then toss them.
- 04
Fry until soft and charred.
Keep tossing for 3 to 5 minutes until the peppers deflate slightly and the skins are covered in pale blisters and dark spots.
- 05
Drain briefly and hit with flaky salt.
Scoop the peppers onto a paper towel for exactly five seconds, then move them to a warm serving dish. Shower them generously with the flaky sea salt right now, and rush them to the table.
Notes
The Great Shishito Substitution.
True Padrón peppers from the DOP region in Galicia are brilliant but tough to source in the US. Japanese shishitos behave exactly the same in the pan, taste nearly identical, and carry the same roulette-style heat risk. Top American tapas chefs use them without apology.
Hold the salt until the very end.
Salting raw vegetables draws out water. If you salt these in the skillet, you get steamed, soggy peppers and a kitchen covered in splattered grease. The salt must go on after the cooking is done.