SERVES 4
Padrón is a village in the province of A Coruña (Galicia) famous for its short, slightly conical fresh green peppers not much bigger than a thumb. They are generally mild—which isn’t to say sweet—and, when quickly fried until blistered in spots and then scattered with salt, make for a superb tapa. The oil needs to be hot (but not smoking) before adding so that they don’t become soft and soggy, and they shouldn’t be fried too long or they’ll lose their natural flavor and aroma.
To eat, pick them up by the tail. You can eat the soft white core and seeds, if you want. Until recently, they were unavailable outside of Spain, but now are not infrequently found in the United States, carried by places like Whole Foods and in specialist Spanish shops such as La Tienda (see Sources, page 345). When buying, look for brilliant green peppers with firm, unwrinkled skin. If you can’t find padrón peppers, look for Japanese shishito peppers.
One warning: While the level of heat is generally not something to be concerned about, every batch usually has one or two hot ones. Of course, whoever in the group can least handle the heat is bound to get it. I refer to this phenomenon as Padrón’s Law.
1. Wipe the peppers with a cloth. Do not remove the stems or tails.
2. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and quickly cook, turning as needed, until they are blistered in places but not blackened, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a splatter guard.
3. Quickly transfer the peppers with a slotted spoon to absorbent paper towels to wick away some of the excess oil, and then put them on a plate. Generously season with salt flakes. Serve hot.