I figured I’d try something a bit different tonight…

Sauteed shishito peppers are getting pretty popular in LA as an appetizer at Japanese restaurants. Here’s my shot at it:

  1. Drop some shishito peppers in a skillet. Nonstick = bad, the reason for which is obvious in second.
  2. Drizzle them a bit with olive or sesame seed oil (I used a dark toasted sesame seed oil).
  3. Sear peppers with a propane torch. Rotate them as necessary to get all of the angles. (A smaller “creme brulee” torch might not produce enough heat… plumber’s torches from Home Depot are the tool for this job…)
  4. Place on a serving plate and top with shaved bonito flakes, yuzu (or lemon) juice, and sea salt.
  5. Serve immediately.
Why sear them with a propane torch? Apparently home stoves don’t produce enough heat to quickly sauté these little buggers, so they lose a lot of their color in the process. Searing them cooks them quickly with plenty of heat, so they retain their lovely color.
Trying just one for the taste… it’s a winner! 🙂