Let’s Talk About Shishitos, Baby

The first time I ever even heard of shishito peppers was in Austin. My friend Kyle ordered them for the table, and told us that they were a mild pepper, but 1 in 10 is wicked spicy. “Appetizer roulette, how fun!” I thought. The peppers were grassy with a hint of sweetness, and came with a aioli sauce that added some zest. Boom, love at first bite. I immediately ordered another round.

Shishito peppers have become my signature dish. Rarely will you visit my house without a platter of fresh pan-blistered peppers on my kitchen island. I make a point to order them every time I see them on a menu, and love seeing different chefs’ takes on the simple pepper. This is version I’ve been super into lately–I’ll share some variations on it as well!

Pan-Blistered Shishito Peppers with Roasted Corn, Feta, and Sumac

You’ll Need

• A bag of shishito peppers. I’ve found them at Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods, but no luck at Reasor’s or Target. WARNING: be sure you’re buying SHISHITO peppers. Not serranos. You will deeply regret making this recipe with serrano peppers.
• Fresh corn kernels cut from one cob, or 1/2 a cup of thawed frozen corn
• 1/4 a cup of Feta cheese
• Sumac (if you don’t have any, lemon pepper seasoning is a good substitute)
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt

Method

1. Let a large cast iron skillet heat over medium heat for 10 minutes. If you don’t have one, use the biggest frying pan you have, but while you’re waiting on it to heat up, get on Amazon and buy yourself a cast iron skillet you friggin man child.
2. While the pan’s heating up, toss the shishitos and corn with a couple good glugs of olive oil and a dash of kosher salt. Dump the veggies in you pan at let it sizzle and blister in the pan for 2-3 minutes.
3. Use a spatula to give the veggies a good toss. Let the veggies blister for another 2-3 minutes, then toss the veg around and let it cook for another minute or so. You want the corn to be heated through, and charred spots on the peppers. The peppers should still be bright green, slightly softened by still retain their shape.
4. Remove from the pan and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with the feta cheese and generously finish with the sumac. Sumac is a bright, lemony, and fruity, the PERFECT addition to these flavor profiles. Dig in and remember to share.

Remix the Dish

• Blister shishitos with olive oil and kosher salt, then serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Green goddess, parmesan vinaigrette, creamy Dijon, or wasabi aioli would all be bomb.
• For an Asian take, blister shishitos in olive oil with granulated garlic,’ginger powder, and kosher salt. Finish with a drizzle of soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds or furikake.
• Stephanie Izard broils her shishitos in the oven with miso paste (thin it out with water first), good parmesan, sesame seeds, and bread crumbs. A totally bizarre combo, but tastes AMAZING.
• Make a salsa/relish out of shishitos by chopping pan blistered peppers and tossing with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Amazing with steak, chicken, eggs, anything! Also, a great way to repurpose leftover peppers.