Blistered Shishito Peppers with with Lemon Aioli

The first time I ever had a shishito pepper was at a margarita festival with my fiancé and my parents. We figured it would be a fun way to celebrate my birthday. Whew that was a day! Pro tip – if you’re ever questioning if a teeny tiny margarita festival is going to be a good time, it absolutely is! Tacos, margs, the ever-famous Cupid Shuffle, and loads and loads of elote samples!

Moving on.. this post is about shishito peppers. Got off topic a little quick there! Anywho… there was a little tent that was serving all sorts of different types of street tacos. They had carnitas, carne adovada tacos, habanero chicken tacos, and blistered shishito and cheese tacos. I had never had that type of pepper, so I decided I’d give it a go. I could smell it from where I was standing, and it. smelled. glorious.

This taco was perfect, and I mean perfect. Crispy, cheesy, salty – just all the things you’d want in a taco at 2 in the morning after a long night out. Right then my shishito obsession was born.

Shishito peppers aren’t just great for tacos, they’re perfect for an appetizer as well! They are the perfect accessory for a party tray with a beautiful creamy, lemony aioli sauce! Your guests will instantly find themselves obsessed with this new pepper they’ve never had, just like I was that day at that margarita festival.

 

For this appetizer you’ll need:

• a bag of of shishito peppers (you can usually find them in a 2-4 oz in the produce section of your local grocery store, or better yet a local farmer’s market!)
• 1 lemon (the zest and the juice)
• full-fat mayonnaise
• extra virgin olive oil
• dried oregano
• dried basil
• sweet paprika
• coarse kosher salt

 

This is a quick aioli, mayo based. You can make a real deal aioli if you’ve got the time, here’s the recipe for that. This was just a recipe that I whipped up quickly before we had company come over, so I didn’t have all kinds of time to get out the food processor an crack a hundred eggs (although it is SOOO WORTH it if you have the time). For this instance, a mayo based aioli was just right – and it tasted great!

 

Are shishito peppers spicy?

Not exactly, well there’s a chance that one or two in your bag may be a little spicy. Let me explain…

Shishito peppers are have a range of 50 – 200 SHU (Scoville Heat Units), kind of all over the map! 1 in 10 of them is often spicy, making it rare for you to actually receive a spicy pepper every time. There’s no way of knowing if the one you have is the spicy one either, since they generally look similar in shape and color. Some think that the more yellow the pepper is in hue, the spicier it will be. I’ve not found the yellowish peppers to be very hot myself, so I’m not sure if I believe that.

Even if you do get the “hot pepper”, it’s still comparable to a bell pepper or very mild jalapeno in terms of spice. You got this sis.

 

Where do they come from?

Shishito peppers are actually Japanese in origin. They are a trendy culinary item right now, so you’ll see them blended into many different fusion type dishes.

The word shishito comes from the Japanese word “shishi” for lion. Some Japanese say that the bulbous end of the pepper looks similar to a lion’s head. So the word shishito is a combination of the word “shishi” and “tōgarashi”, which is Japanese for chili pepper. 

You may have seen shishito peppers tempura fried and served with traditional Japanese dishes.

 

Do they have any health benefits?

Shishitos are packed with all kinds of great stuff!

 

Okay, I’m enjoying this lesson, but my party is coming up quick! How do I make this?

1. In a food processor combine the mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice, and all remaining spices and process until a a you see a thin dip consistency. A smaller food processor works best for this, or a small blender even.
2. Season the aioli to taste with salt and pepper, place in your serving bowl, and top with a sprinkle of sweet paprika.
3. Prep your peppers by washing them and puncturing the skin of each pepper with a toothpick. (This keep the pepper from bursting.)
4. Heat two teaspoons of olive oil over medium high-heat, and add the peppers to the oil.
5. Toss the peppers around in the oil until they are all shimmering.
6. Let the peppers sit in the hot oil for a few seconds to char, and then toss again. Do this a few times until you see blister marks across all of the peppers.
7. Remove the peppers from the heat, sprinkle with a bit of coarse sea salt, toss and move to your serving platter.

 

Can I store blistered shishito peppers?

I wouldn’t. Really. They get a little soggy, and they “blistered affect” goes away. The great thing about these peppers, it they take about 3 minutes to make. Just make exactly as many as you need, and keep the rest in your fridge! As long as you keep the peppers in your refrigerator in an aerated bag, they’ll last (un-cooked) for a couple of weeks!

 

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to post a rating and comment!

I’d love to see your pictures on Instagram too! Tag @a_toastedcrumb!