Recipe: Sauteed Padron Peppers
A theme you may see in much of my cooking is the phrase “the simplest cooking is often the best.” Nothing could be truer than a plate of Padron peppers. I got them from a dear friend Jon who grew them in his backyard and thought they were a little too spicy for him. Jon’s Irish so I don’t blame him, but, none of the peppers I had tonight were remotely hot, but they were delicious.
The first time I had this plate was at a tapas bar in Monterrey. They had numerous great dishes, but this plate of humble peppers was the best I had. They have a wonderful richness to them as well as a slight spice which is only enhanced by salty pork products and for me a little drizzle of vinegar to just bring out all of those flavors.
The simplest of dinners is the best.
Ingredients
15-20 Padron peppers
3 slices of bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Drizzle of Champagne vinegar
Salt to taste
Good hearty bread
Begin by slicing the bacon into lardon and placing in a small skillet over medium to medium low heat. Render the bacon until it is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain the bacon fat. Leave the remaining bacon fat in the pan and turn heat to high. Once the bacon fat starts smoking add in the peppers. Toss immediately to coat. Allow the peppers to blister, about 1-2 mins a side. When they are done, remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Immediately salt. They are in the perfect place to be seasoned at this point. Then let them drain for a minute or so.
After the peppers have drained, place on a plate and top with bacon. Drizzle the vinegar onto it. As much as you want and then top with really good olive oil. Serve with bread.
