Roasted Mini Sweet Pepper
A few weeks ago my friend and blogger Val of more than burnt toast and I went to micro bar bites on Water Street shortly after they opened. We love the compact space, sitting at the beautiful long wooden bar and had fun and delicious food prepared by the talented chef Evelyn Takoff. I especially enjoyed the small plate of roasted shishito peppers, a mildly flavoured Japanese chili pepper that is harvested while green but will turn red if left on the vine. Occasionally you’d get a hot one but it’s not the heart attack hot pepper like some others can be (you had a hot one Val, correct me if I am wrong). They served a few of them, roasted whole with a drizzle of olive oil I think, should have taken notes.
I have been looking for these peppers since but can’t find them here. So I improvised. You know those mini red and yellow peppers that they have at the market or the stores sometime? They are really fun to cook with. I have stuffed them with risotto before but this time wanted to roast them whole and serve as is. You don’t have to cut or do anything to them. Just a quick toss with olive oil and a roast at 400℉ for 20-30 minutes or so and there you have it, a lovely appetizer or a side vegetable that’s colourful and delicious with a sprinkling of Maldon salt and a twist or two of freshly ground black pepper. I barely took a few pictures of them before my husband snapped them from under my camera and enjoyed them as a snack with a few slices of baguette and shaved parmesan. Since they are so small they are edible whole, seeds and all, so I wouldn’t bother trying to remove the seeds.
Enjoy.
Ingredients:
A bunch of Mini sweet peppers, red, orange, yellow
Olive oil for drizzling
Maldon salt or fleur de sel or another good coarse sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Chives, chopped, for garnish
Shaved parmesan curls
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Place the peppers on the baking sheet and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, just to glisten the peppers.
Place in a preheated 400℉ oven and roast for about 30 minutes or until soft, crinkled and blackened in a few spots (not black throughout)
Remove from the oven, pile on a serving plate.
Sprinkle with Maldon salt and a twist or two of freshly ground pepper.
Sprinkle with the chopped chives and shave a few parmesan curls on top (using a vegetable peeler).
Serve warm or at room temperature.
4 Comments
I first tried Padron peppers in San Francisco that were cooked simply in olive oil and sprinkled with salt. They also had the “Russian roulette” effect of the shishito peppers. I did find a hot one that day but it did not have over the top heat. I did not find a hot one at all in SF. I love the simpleness of this dish.
Hi Val,I don’t know padron peppers. Peppers should be on my list to get to know. The ones I cooked were just sweet peppers, no heat attached:) George is eating them as I write this and from the ummm sounds he is loving it. We have to find a source for the shishito, just to try them. Maybe in the Asian store?
thanks for commenting Val. See you Thursday.
They look and sound delicious.
I would/will make them—if only I could find my way to the kitchen.
First I will have to buy them—it is a good thing I have snow tires!
Anne, you are back from travels. Can’t wait talk to you. I hear it is really snowing right now. Oh, and the kitchen is off to the right, next to the living room:).