I don’t know if shishito peppers are available everywhere, but they’ve become more and more common in SoCal, grown fresh locally and present in most grocery produce sections and farmer’s markets. They’re a small, thin-skinned, generally mild pepper, perfect for roasting and eating as an appetizer or accompaniment to any flavor forward dish, particularly grilled meats, found often on menus in Japanese izakaya, ramen and yakitori eateries.
If you can find shishito peppers and don’t know what to do with them, try this recipe, which calls for roasting on the oven or grill. They’re one of my fave side dishes for any grilled meal and great as a healthy, tasty, stand alone snack with a ton of character.
*Recipe* - Roasted Shishito Pepper With a Twist
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
The key here is not to over-roast the peppers. They are very thin-skinned and just a few minutes will do the trick. They tend to puff up when hot, looking like they haven't really cooked, but the second you remove them from the heat, they will deflate. Oh, and although shishito peppers are generally mild, about one in every ten peppers, on average, will give you enough spice that you'll remember why they're called peppers.
Author: The Foodie Whisperer
Recipe type: Appetizer, Hors D'oeuvre, Vegetable, Vegetarian, Vegan
Cuisine: Asian, Coastal, Vegetarian
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 20-30 shishito peppers (10-15 per person)
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (to taste)
- ½ - 1 teaspoon sugar (to taste)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven or grill to 425 degrees.
- Coat the peppers lightly in olive oil and sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place in the oven or on the grill on a baking pan or thin vegetable cooking surface for approximately 5 minutes, or until the skin of the peppers start to brown.
- Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice and sugar to taste, adding more lemon juice or sugar as desired to balance the flavors.
- Remove the peppers from the oven or grill and toss in the sauce, coating thoroughly. Serve warm as a standalone snack or as an accompaniment for any hearty meat dish. Enjoy, and, Cheers, my friends!
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