If you’ve had shishito peppers in a restaurant, you might be surprised to see how easy they are to make at home. If you haven’t yet tried them, you’re in for a treat! This flavorful finger food has long been beloved in Japan and Korea, and its popularity is quickly growing in America.
Bite-sized with a long stem, shishito peppers taste mildly sweet, a little spicy, and we can’t get enough of them! Here’s a fun fact — every bag seems to have one pepper that is noticeably spicier than the rest, which can be exciting, especially for those who enjoy a nice kick.
You can easily prepare a batch of whole shishitos in so many delicious ways. Simply blistering this crisp, crunchy veggie in a frying pan with olive oil and salt makes for a delicious, popular appetizer or side. For a richer bite, you can also stuff your shishitos with soft cheeses, or serve with a complementary, flavorful dipping sauce.
Ingredients
1 pound shishito peppers
2 tablespoons high heat oil
2 cups soaked peeled almonds
2 tablespoons miso paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
2 scallions
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
pinch of kosher salt,
Directions
-
Soak almonds in water for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight. If not peeled, remove skins after soaking. Reserve the water.
-
In a blender or food processor, combine almonds, miso paste, lemon juice, garlic, and the whites of 2 scallions. Chop and reserve the greens of the scallions to top. Pulse. Slowly begin adding reserved water to create a paste. Add only a small amount at a time to prevent it from becoming too runny. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Place in the fridge to chill.
-
Bring a large skillet to high heat. As it heats, rinse and dry shishito peppers. Add to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil until well coated.
-
Once the skillet reaches high heat, add shishito peppers. Allow to blister on each side, roughly 4-6 minutes each side. Some smoking is normal, but stir frequently. Remove once tender and serve immediately with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Top with green scallions.
-
Serve warm.