You can season these peppers to your heart’s content: basic sea salt, a fine-aged balsamic vinegar, or a simple vinaigrette of lemon juice blended with honey are just some of the options.

The price of Shishito peppers has also fallen due to their increased popularity, making them even more affordable!

Blistered Shishito peppers are a popular dish; however, those sensitive to heat should avoid them. Generally speaking, Shishito peppers are mild, but even seasoned spice-heads may find a few of them to be a little too much for their liking, so be sure to tell your guests before serving them.

These charred Shishito peppers are the perfect appetizer for New Year’s Eve with your friends!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbsp. of light olive oil or vegetable oil
• 4 ounces of Shishito peppers (115g, washed and pat dry)
• 2 tsp. of Balsamic vinegar (optional)
• Coarse sea salt (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add oil to a mortar and pestle, and mash up the garlic with the pestle. Creating a paste is not what you want to do here––you are simply infusing the oil.

2. Spread the garlic-infused oil evenly in a medium-high-heat frying pan or wok. Crushed garlic should not be added to the pan, as it will burn.

3. When you’re done adding the Shishito peppers, spread them out evenly in a single layer on the pan. Stir-fry the peppers for 20-30 seconds or until they begin to color. Turn the peppers over so that the other side gets a chance to brown. If you don’t want the peppers to wilt, keep tossing and turning until they’re golden brown and blistered.

4. To achieve a more charred appearance, I prefer my Shishito peppers to be cooked on the stovetop for an additional 30 seconds. An approximate 6 to 8 minutes is needed for the complete frying and blistering process described below.

5. Once the peppers have cooled down a bit, sprinkle them liberally with coarse sea salt. Then, give them a nice toss and put them on a dish. The peppers should be drizzled with two teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sea salt.