FEEDS 8 TO 10
Padrón peppers, a Spanish variety, are very flavorful but only mildly spicy. About one out of ten can really sear your head off, so eating a plateful of them is like playing pepper roulette. For this very simple dish, I sear padrón peppers quickly over very high heat, caramelizing them and bringing out their natural sweetness, and finish them with a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. If you can’t find padrón peppers or want to use a combination of peppers, seek out shishitos or another small mild or sweet pepper, such as Chiparras (also known as piment d’Anglet). I like to contrast colors, shapes, flavors, and heat of various peppers.
1 pound fresh PADRÓN PEPPERS, or a combination of small mild peppers, stems on
1/2 cup OLIVE OIL, or as needed
3 large GARLIC CLOVES, thinly sliced
KOSHER SALT
1 LEMON, halved, for squeezing
Flaky SEA SALT
Rinse the peppers under cold water and dry them thoroughly. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Pour in enough of the oil to cover the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet to about 1/4 inch deep, about 1/4 cup. Heat the oil over high heat until it shimmers and slides easily in the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the peppers in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Season the peppers with kosher salt and sauté them for about 3 minutes, turning them with tongs, until they are browned all over and wilted. Transfer the peppers to paper towels. Cook the rest of the peppers the same way, adding more oil to the pan as necessary and heating the oil before adding the peppers. Squeeze lemon juice over the peppers, sprinkle them with flaky salt, and serve.