sesame-fried shishito peppers

like the daikon radish or momotaro tomatoes, shishito peppers are special japanese treats that – lucky for us – are easily grown in california.  and lucky for me, the local japanese family farm i work for carries them.

most of these miniature peppers are very mild, almost like a bell pepper with just the tiniest bite of spice that is not at all hot.  one in every 20 or so might be spicier, but cooking helps reduce the heat of the pepper.

and there are so many ways you can enjoy shishitos!  eaten raw with hummus, chopped up for a very mild salsa, tempera or over the grill are all great, but i love the simplicity of this recipe.  the whole peppers are lightly blistered in some sesame oil, then sprinkled with salt and sesame seeds.  the perfect appetizer or snack, best enjoyed with a cold beer.

sesame-fried shishito peppers
2 cups of shishito peppers
2 tbsp sesame oil
sesame seeds
sea salt

wash the peppers, but leave them in tact.  the stems give you something to hold when you bite them.

heat the oil up in a large pan over high heat for a few minutes.  toss one pepper in to see if the oil is hot enough.  when the pepper sizzles and pops you know the oil is hot enough.

throw the rest of the peppers in, reduce the heat to medium-high and try to stand back a bit.  the peppers are filled with air and will pop when they heat up, which might splatter hot oil on anything that’s near.  it would also be a good idea to throw on an apron to keep the oil from getting on your clothes.

flip every 30 seconds with a spoon, spatula or tongs.  after about 4-6 minutes the peppers should become lightly tanned in spots.  cut the heat and scoop them off individually onto a paper towel-covered plate.  let the oil cool before disposing of it.

while still hot, sprinkle the peppers with sesame seeds and sea salt to your taste.  enjoy immediately.

yields 2 cups