The Best Way to Enjoy Padron Peppers

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These Padron peppers literally melt in your mouth with a small amount of salty heat chasing a lingering pepper flavor as you grab the next one and the next one.
By Patty Price

Padron peppers are Luis Castelero’s pride and joy. He grows Padron peppers at his ranch in Lake County, California and likes to serve them in the purest way which is using the following recipe that he shared with me. It goes something like this, blistered in a heavy skillet coated with olive oil and then simply salted with the best sea salt you can get your hands on. Take hold of a stem and bite into the pepper, the small ones in one bite and the larger ones maybe in two. They literally melt in your mouth with a small amount of salty heat chasing a lingering Padron pepper flavor as you grab the next one and the next one..

The following recipe makes a fair amount, enough to fit comfortably into a good size frying pan, which in turn fills up a dinner plate to serve as a killer appetizer. My husband and I easily polished off the whole amount last night. While it’s always more fun to enjoy Padron peppers up at the ranch with friends and a good bottle of wine on a hot Lake County Summer’s night, here’s Luis’ recipe- the next best thing. I wish I could share the peppers too.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Recipe type: Appetizer

Author: Patty Price

Prep time: 2 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 7 mins

Serves: 4

Padron peppers are best enjoyed as an appetizer prepared in the most simple way by cooking in a hot olive oil coated frying pan and sprinkled with sea salt before serving.

Ingredients

2 generous cups of Padron peppers
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

Add olive oil to a hot frying pan, when the oil is hot and shimmering add the peppers.
Cook and stir the peppers until the skin is brown and blistered.
Remove the peppers from the pan, place on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

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Patty Price

Patty Price is a former assistant pastry chef at Bizou (currently CoCo500) who was previously recognized for her signature dessert by The New York Times. She also spent time learning classic French cooking techniques at a three-star Michelin restaurant in France which she incorporates into her personal food blog, Patty's Food. Inspired by the diversity of seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs available locally in the San Francisco Bay Area, Patty hopes to inspire her readers to cook seasonally and try new recipes.

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27 Responses to The Best Way to Enjoy Padron Peppers

Nancy Lopez-McHugh Reply

July 23, 2011 at 7:10 am

Hi Patty, So great to see you becoming a contributor! As I read your article my taste buds tingled and my mouth began watering. What a delicious treat. Now how to get my mouth to stop watering;)
- patty Reply
  
  July 23, 2011 at 6:37 pm
  
  Thanks for your support Nancy;-)
Alisha Randell Reply

July 23, 2011 at 1:46 pm

Hi Patty, so great to see you here :) You now have me craving these beauties…they look fantastic!
- patty Reply
  
  July 23, 2011 at 7:16 pm
  
  Thanks Alisha;-)
val savarese Reply

July 26, 2011 at 3:46 am

I absolutely love them. I live in London, we get them here (v expensive spanish imports) but what is sold here lacks that one in ten explosive pepper that blows yr head off when u much into it.
Out of interest is what Mr Castelero grows tame or fiery ???
Regards
VS
- Patty Price Reply
  
  July 26, 2011 at 9:03 am
  
  These peppers have a slight amount of heat, I would say tame. Thanks for your comment, I love padron peppers too.
- Tony Reply
  
  July 25, 2012 at 3:29 am
  
  Hi Val
  I also live in London, I grow my own peppers from
  ones I fetched back from Portugal.They were grown in
  northern spain “Padron”. As you say every one in ten
  Blows your head off.I get a good crop every year, but do grow them in a greenhouse.
  To get seeds for growing,allow the peppers to ripen
  (go red)and dry, plant them the following year.
  Good Luck
Priscilla - She's Cookin' Reply

July 27, 2011 at 2:42 am

I would really love to try these peppers! Welcome to Honest Cooking, Patty :)
Ron Bannon Reply

August 10, 2011 at 6:56 pm

I’ve seen Spaniards deep fry these things. However, I actually prefer slow cooking in a small amount of oil, very low heat, for about 30 minutes per side. Be gently!
Barbara Quick Reply

August 29, 2011 at 7:17 pm

Just picked a handful of the first padron peppers from my garden. This is just the recipe I was looking for. Thanks! Looks like you feature some wonderful recipes on your blog. Yum!
Christine @ Oatmeal in my Bowl Reply

October 1, 2011 at 1:15 am

Yeah! Thanks for the recipe. I just received some padron peppers in my CSA box. Never seen them before and wasn’t sure what to do with them.

You saved me. :) Glad to have found your post!

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The Best Way to Enjoy Padron Peppers

Patty Price

27 Responses to The Best Way to Enjoy Padron Peppers