Padron Peppers

Just the Right Amount of Heat

Posted by Lori

I am in love with Padrons. These little peppers have a huge place in my heart. The first time I saw them at market a few years ago I was a bit curious, but it wasn't until I ordered them at Soif Wine Bar, in Santa Cruz, that I fell head over heels. My date and I devoured the plate in seconds, happily surprised by the spicy few hiding behind all of their cuteness. Padrons' smoky-almost-inky flavor and melty-silky texture is quite appealing, if you ask me, and I truly find the whole experience of eating them irresistible.

Don't be too intimidated by the heat, at least not early in their summer season. When the plants are first producing, the hotter peppers can be a challenge to find but as they mature, all Padrons get blazing hot so mostly beware the larger ones and the ones that just look scary, because they probably have quite a kick! Later in the season, there is a much higher percentage of hot peppers even among the small ones because it seems that as the plants produce more fruit and become more stressed, the heat goes up - my personal hypothesis, based on thousands of peppers!

They shine so lovely when simply pan fried in hot olive oil - don't toss them around too much, let them sit for a few minutes so they blister and brown before flipping them around - and sprinkled with a generous dose of sea salt. This is one of my standard after-market dinners when I don't feel like cooking anything else but Padrons are also so good with eggs, veggie stir frys, salsa {especially the hot ones}, on pizza, in cornbread and I'm currently dreaming up a spicy Padron chocolate cake recipe that I will most certainly share!

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