I’d never heard of Shishito peppers until they turned up in my farm share. I looked them up and found out they’re mild sweet peppers that originated in Asia. You cook them by roasting, sautéing or blistering them until they swell up, and sometimes pop.
I’m not a lover of peppers, so I was skeptical I’d like them. I washed the peppers, which are smallish and thin, cut the stems off (not necessary, but it makes them look tidier). I placed them on parchment paper in a roasting pan, sprinkled them with canola oil and dusted them with pink Himalayan salt.
I didn’t know what to expect when I put these thin-skinned peppers into a 450 degree F oven, but I kept an eye on them. After 5 minutes, they started to blister. Another 10 minutes went by, and they were covered all over with puffy whitish blisters, so I took them out of the oven.
Immediately, the peppers deflated. They didn’t look like much, but after waiting a few minutes for the peppers to cool, I tried one. Astonishing! It was great! I tried a few more, then started shouting for my family to come quick to eat one before they all disappeared.
The interesting little glitch about shishito peppers is that they are very mild, mostly. One out of every eight peppers is quite spicy, perhaps due to varying exposure to sunlight. They also turn red when completely grown up, but are usually harvested when green.
The batch I received in my farm share was bright green and didn’t contain a single spicy pepper, which was a bit disappointing. But the flavor of these roasted shishito peppers was anything but disappointing. A little oil, salt and heat, and wow, these peppers are scrumptious.
If you find shishito peppers in your farmer’s market or supermarket, grab a bunch. I wish I’d known about them sooner, because they are simple to prepare and a miracle of roasted deliciousness to eat.
Roasted Shishito Peppers
Roast shishito peppers in a hot oven with canola oil and salt for a simple, delicious appetizer or side dish.
Ingredients
- Green shishito peppers, washed, stems trimmed
- Canola oil
- Pink Himalayan salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the peppers in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Drizzle organic canola oil (or avocado oil) over the peppers
Sprinkle the peppers with pink Himalayan salt.
Put the baking sheet into the oven, and watch closely.
Check the peppers after 5 minutes. If they are covered with puffy white blisters, take them out of the oven.
If they aren't blistered yet, keep them in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until they are blistered all over.
Remove the peppers from the oven. They will deflate in seconds.
Serve immediately. You can add a dipping sauce, but they are delicious all by themselves.
Shishito peppers are long and narrow with thin skins. They’re usually harvested when bright green.
I trim the stems before cooking to make them look neater.
Place the peppers on a parchment-covered baking sheet.
Drizzle them with canola oil, then dust them with pink Himalayan salt.
Roast the peppers in a 450 degree F oven for between 5 and 15 minutes. Watch them carefully. They will puff up, and immediately deflate when removed from the oven.
Serve shishito peppers fresh from the oven. They make a delicious, easy to prepare appetizer or a great side dish.
No Comments