Roasted
Shishito Peppers
Adapted
from Shelley Marks, Silver Lake Farms
Shishito
peppers are a lovely little member of the capsicum family. They are Japanese in
origin and get their name from the Japanese word for lion, shishi, because
their tip is said to resemble a lion. I’m not sure I see it, but it’s a nice
story.
About
10% of shishito peppers are hot. The rest are mild, which makes it kind of fun
if you don’t mind the occasional burst of heat.
Shishitos
are great for roasting. They’re small and have a thin skin. Watch them
carefully so they don’t burn. I find that poking a hole in the tip will prevent
the peppers from bursting open before they’re done.
There
are many Japanese preparations for shishitos, such as tempura-battered and
fried or roasted and sprinkled with togarashi. But I like shishitos best tossed
with a small amount of olive oil, roasted, and sprinkled with sea salt.
If you
want to get fancy, try stuffing the roasted shishitos with goat cheese and
serving them on a bed of Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce (see recipe from September
24, 2010) or your favorite tomato sauce.
To
roast shishitos:
Heat an
indoor or outdoor grill pan to medium hot. While the pan is heating, toss
1/2 lb shishito peppers with 1-2 t olive oil. When the pan is hot, add
the peppers in a single layer and roast, stirring occasionally, until the skins
of the peppers are mostly blackened. You don’t want them completely
blackened. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with sea salt.
To
stuff roasted shishitos:
Slit
the roasted peppers lengthwise. Carefully insert about a teaspoon or two
of goat cheese into each pepper. You may want to roll the goat cheese
between your palms to shape it so it fits inside the pepper. Serve on a
bed of your favorite homemade tomato sauce.
You can
season the goat cheese with herbs or black pepper, or even mix in a small
amount of carmelized onion or roasted garlic before shaping and stuffing into
the peppers.
