Last summer Todd and I had the pleasure of having dinner at Nobu here in LA. Hands down it was one of the most memorable dinners of my life! Although Nobu is not necessarily known for it's gluten free/vegan menu the staff and chefs did an amazing job of making our experience just as special as the other 6 people we were with who were nothing short of sushi and Wagyu beef fanatics.
One of the first dishes that made its way to the table was a beautiful bowl of padron peppers. They had a subtle char on their skin and the flavorings that Nobu placed on the peppers were ingeniously simple so that the true flavor of the pepper came through. I had never had padron peppers before and wasn't quite sure what to expect, but when I bit into the first one I was hooked. True love at first bite...if that's a real thing.
I spent the rest of the padron pepper season trying to emulate that bite until sadly the growing season was over and I had to wait until this year to resume my efforts. A few weeks ago I noticed that padron peppers were back at my local Whole Foods and now have made it to the farmer's market as well. So naturally I have been eating my weight in them. I decided this year that I wanted to pair them with a simple lime dressing and big flakes of Maldon salt. These babies are SO good that even our 12 year old daughter can put a whole plate down in one sitting.
If you have never had padron peppers before they are generally pretty mild in their heat level although occasionally a spicy one sneaks into the mix. They are fast to cook, easy to devour, and will leave you craving more...every time!
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PrintBlistered Padron Peppers
- Prep Time: 8 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 13 mins
- Yield: 4 as a side 1x
Ingredients
- ¼ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ pound padron peppers
- Maldon salt
- Lime wedges
For the dressing
- ¼ cup lime juice
- zest of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon light agave
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Combine the lime juice, zest, olive oil, and agave in a large bowl and mix with a whisk until combined. Set aside.
Make the peppers
- Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; gently swirling the pan to make sure that the bottom is coated with the oil. When the oil is shimmering carefully place the peppers in a single layer in the skillet. Cook the peppers, turning as the skin blisters and the peppers slightly wilt. Each pepper will take between 2-3 minutes to cook. When a pepper is cooked through transfer it to the bowl with the dressing and cook the remaining peppers until they are all cooked and in the bowl. Toss well to coat all of the peppers with dressing then transfer the peppers to a serving dish. Sprinkle liberally with Maldon salt and serve immediately with lime wedges.
Notes
There will be dressing left after tossing the peppers in it. Simply reserve it in the fridge for the next batch you cook.
Hungry for more gluten free padron pepper recipes? Check out some of these delicious recipes:
Padron Pepper and Goat Cheese Tacos from The Bojon Gourmet
Blistered Padron Peppers with Buttermilk Aioli from Kitchen Confidante
Padrón Peppers Stuffed with Tetilla Cheese from Bon Appétit
Almu says
Totally surprised that you know the Padrón peppers so far away from the original place where they grow, that's in Galicia, northwest of Spain, at the small town of Padrón. I guess you know what we use to say about them: Pimientos de Padrón, unos pican e outros non (Padrón peppers, some are hot and some are not!) Congrats for your web!
Kate @¡Hola! Jalapeño says
This brings me back to my California days, one of my all time favorite apps!
Meg says
I pretty much eat my weight in padron peppers during its short season. Love them!!!
Liane says
I love padron peppers 🙂 I make this all the time.
Meg says
They are sooooooo good! I am happy to meet another padron pepper junkie;)
Gaby says
Looks wonderful, love everything peppers!!
Meg says
Thanks so much Gaby! Me too!!