I tried my first shishito pepper when I was in my twenties at a small Japanese restaurant in NYC. I don’t remember the name of the restaurant because it was one of those places that didn’t have a sign out front, but it was one of our favorites in the neighborhood. Since then, long before farming, I always jumped anytime I saw them on a menu. They say one in every ten peppers is hot, but I’ve never tasted a spicy one!
This post can’t really be considered a “recipe” because shishito peppers are almost always cooked the same way and in my opinion they’re perfect in their simple form.
I simply fry/blister in a frying pan with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with some chunky sea salt (gotta support local!)…
Squirt some lemon juice over the top and enjoy! They make a fantastic appetizer and surprisingly there are still a lot of people out there who don’t really know what they are or how to cook them so they make for a fun and interesting appetizer for your next dinner party. And of course couldn’t be more simple to prepare.
The best part about shishito peppers is that they keep for weeks. I just keep mine on the counter, but they’ll probably stay fresh even longer in the fridge. Happy munching!
Stuffed Patty Pans
Ingredients
- 1 pint of Shishito Peppers
- Sea Salt
- 1/4 Lemon + extra wedges for serving
- OIive Oil
Directions
- Heat a couple tbsps of olive oil in a frying pan. Add Shishito peppers and cook on HIGH, flipping, until blistered on both sides.
- Remove from pan. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and fresh lemon juice. Add a few extra lemon wedges for serving.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
One thought on “Shishito Peppers with Sea Salt and Lemon”
My recipe is even simpler. Poke some little holes in the peppers, then throw them in a super hot cast iron pan. When they’re blistered, remove them, then put the olive oil and salt. This keeps you from being burned or splattered and it tastes just the same. If the restaurant was in Soho I think I know which one it was. I’ve read that this is a common bar snack in Japan.