7-29-2022 4:31am

Shishitos Are In Season

SH…HOW SWEET IT IS

Summer time Shishito fun!

Every year we grow a different amount and variety of sweet and hot peppers. Last year Shishito peppers were SO popular we couldn’t keep up with demand. So this year-we grew twice as many.

We want everyone to get some this year!

I blistered some in my favorite old cast iron pan to pair with a Shady Spring 100% grass-fed sirloin steak the other night. Oh my!

I forget from season to season how much I LOVE blistered Shishito peppers.

WHAT IS A SHISHITO PEPPER?

A favorite old Japanese variety which produces 3-inch-long, slightly wrinkled fruit, perfect for making tempura and other traditional recipes. It’s emerald green in color and has very mild flavor.

A popular preparation with American chefs is to serve them as an appetizer, blistered with freshly cracked salt. This is my go to as well but it’s a versatile pepper!

They are not spicy, but ‘they’ say 1 in 10 is a little spicy. (Although, I have only had 2 slightly spicy ones from this Oak Spring harvest so far)

They are perfect when roasted and blistered in a cast iron pan.

BLISTERED SHISHITO PEPPERS

You’ll need:

2 TBLS of regular olive oil, avocado oil or good ole vegetable oil

1/2-1# (a pint or 2) of OSF Shishito peppers

Wash and dry your peppers thoroughly. Wet peppers can cause hot oil to splatter. It hurts to get splattered with hot oil and it messes up your stove top!

I’ve read you’re supposed to poke a hole in each pepper with a toothpick or skewer so it doesn’t blow up in the pan…I don’t do it but just in case

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium/high heat. Once the pan is nice and hot, add the peppers

Cook the peppers for 7-8 minutes, moving them around every few minutes to get them blistered evenly

Once they are evenly blistered, remove from the pan, toss them with freshly cracked sea salt or Himalayan salt and serve immediately

Want to make a delicious dipping sauce too?

LEMON GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

1/2 cup homemade or Hellman’s mayo1 Tbls lemon juice (I prefer freshly squeezed)1/2-1 tsp freshly minced garlic1/8 tsp cayenne pepper powderMix the mayo, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper together in a small dish. Season to taste. If making in advance, cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

GRILLED SHISHITO PEPPERS

Grilled shishito peppers are how to cook shishito peppers if you have your grill already going and don’t feel like messing with a pan. I still prefer blistering them in a pan, but the grill is a great option.

The bonus to making grilled shishito peppers is that when you skewer them (for ease of turning on the grill) you’ve already pierced the pepper to allow steam to escape. The downside is that you’ll want to soak the skewers for 30 minutes before grilling if using bamboo skewers.

If you opt for metal skewers, no pre-soak is necessary. It’s probably obvious which type of skewer gets my vote.

For grilled shishito peppers, you toss the peppers with the oil you’d use were you making blistered shishito peppers in the pan, then skewer them. Grill over high heat or hot coals for about 5 minutes per side, or until blistered all over and charred in places.

Bon Appetit!