Padrón Peppers Recipe

Prepare peppers

Rinse the Padrón peppers under cool running water and pat them thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Trim any stems only if they are long or damaged; leaving most stems intact makes them easy to pick up when eating.

Heat pan

Place a large heavy-bottomed skillet (cast-iron is ideal) over high heat and let it get very hot for about 2–3 minutes. The pan should be smoking slightly hot for best blistering results.

Cook peppers

Add the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to the hot pan and immediately add the dried Padrón peppers in a single layer (they may overlap slightly). Let them sit undisturbed for 30–45 seconds, then toss or shake the pan so peppers blister on multiple sides. Continue to cook, shaking or turning every 30–45 seconds, until most peppers are blistered and charred in spots, about 4–6 minutes total.

Season

Remove the pan from heat. Transfer the blistered peppers to a serving plate or leave them in the pan. Immediately sprinkle with the coarse sea salt (about 1 teaspoon) and, if using, the freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss gently to distribute salt.

Serve

Serve the peppers hot or warm with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over just before eating. Padrón peppers are typically served as a tapas-style snack; provide small forks or fingers for picking them up. Note: roughly 1 in 10 peppers may be spicy—warn guests.