Alright sports fans, prepare yourselves for a little slice of Heaven on Earth.
Meet the humble Padrón pepper plant from northwestern Spain, both of which are a little slice of Heaven on Earth.
The Padrón pepper is an heirloom, non-hybrid pepper with fantastic pepper flavor. Put Bell peppers out of your mind because aside from the color, Padrón peppers bear no resemblance to Bell peppers. The plants get about 2.5 feet tall and grow well in the ground or in containers. The best part is that as long as you keep cutting off the unripened fruits, they keep flowering and producing peppers. Peppers range from 1.5″ to 4″ long and vary in shape from short and blocky to long and thin.
Padrón peppers are picked while still immature because the heat level is still low before ripening and because the pepper skins become tough when mature. You don’t want to eat them raw when immature. They must be cooked first which is dead simple. More on that later.
Spaniards use Padrón peppers as tapas which are just a small amounts of food, usually two or three small bites, served with a drink. The food can vary quite a bit from octopus to peanuts to peppers and usually depends on what is fresh and available locally. If you ever get to visit Spain, join the locals in the evening when the temps drop and they descend on the local Tascas (family friendly bars). People will visit one or more Tascas drinking small glasses wine or beer and snacking on tapas. Visiting several Tascas in an evening can be a fine substitute for eating dinner itself. In my experience most Tascas off six or more tapas so don’t be afraid to ask for something specific. Alternatively, just let the proprietor make the choice for you as this is an excellent way to sample a wide variety of top notch Spanish cuisine cheaply and quickly.
There are two methods of cooking that produce identical results. First you should know that Padrón peppers are sneaky little things which is why the Spaniards call them ruleta rusa or Russian roulette. For reasons still unknown, about one in ten Padrón peppers is quite hot. However, don’t let this put you off as the heat is neither too hot nor does in linger very long.
Ingredients are simple: About 4-12 fresh picked Padrón peppers per person, the best and freshest extra virgin olive oil you can get your paws on, your favorite coarse salt and little tap water. Optional ingredients to turn it into a quick meal would be some good quality crusty bread and and a simple cold lager or wine. A fine Spanish Sherry would be good too.
For either method you’ll need a lid for your skillet.
Method one:
Heat a stainless or cast iron skillet to VERY hot! You only want enough peppers to barely cover the bottom of the skillet so do them in batches if you have more than that. Quickly throw the peppers into a dry skillet and cover. While holding the lid, give the pan a good shake every 20-30 seconds until the peppers are blistered all over. A few black spots won’t hurt. Next, add a tablespoon or two of water and quickly cover the pan for another 30 seconds or so then remove from heat. Drizzle fresh olive oil over the peppers, sprinkle with half the salt, cover and shake then add a bit more salt.
Method two:
Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to your skillet and heat on medium high until the oil just begins to smoke. Quickly add the peppers and cover. Shake pan every 20-30 seconds until peppers are blistered all over. Again, a few black spots won’t hurt. Take heed though, when peeking at them with this method oil is going to splatter out so peek carefully and quickly! You have been warned! Remove from heat and sprinkle with half the salt and shake then add a bit more salt.
Method one uses the water to steam the peppers just a bit as the unripe peppers can be bitter if not completely cooked. Method two completely covers the peppers with hot oil releasing more moisture while cooking so there is no need to add water.
We just stand in front of the stove armed with little chunks of crusty bread and cold beer and chow down! Pop the pepper in your mouth, pulling off the stem and chew while mopping up oil and salt from the skillet then pop that in your mouth, chew some more and wash it down with some cold beer! If you’re lucky enough to get a hot one, the bread will help temper the already mild heat. The peppers that aren’t hot just have a pleasant pepper flavor with none of the heartburn that peppers can sometimes cause. Enjoy!
Be sure to let a pepper or two from each plant grow to full maturity to save for next years crop and to share with future Padrón pepper addicts.
A little more info here: https://www.portlandediblegardens.com/blog/2015/7/9/padron-peppers-early-enduring-extraordinary
That was interesting. Thanks I.S.
Thanks for that. We’ll give them a try.
Interesting! I will try to grow next season. This year I discovered Cajun Belle peppers. They give what I call a ‘back door heat’. Their flavor shows on the back end of a morsel, unlike jalapeno, serrano etc which you feel early in the mastication process. They are good green and become more picante when ripened to red. Sauté in oil with onions and garlic and add to sauces. It was divine in an alfredo pasta dish. I made a vinegar pepper sauce with them to put on my collards and cornbread. The pleasant burn begins in the back of the throat and progresses limbically releasing endorphins all over the body.
I/S- Is that your personal pepper pot/container? They sound absolutely scrumpdelicious! Peppers are a outstanding source of vitamin C.
Have you been to Spain recently, I have the Costa Del Sol on my bucket list.
None of the images are mine so no. Mine are grown in the ground using the back to eden method of mulch gardening. My plants are much denser than that one pictured at top with at least triple the number of flowers.
Haven’t been to Spain recently. I lived there for four years then went back twice on vacation. The entire country was magnificent IMO. Every region was distinct to be sure but the people were always the same, warm, friendly and proud everywhere I went. The last time I was there, Spain had just been invaded by eastern europeans and that was not well received by the natives. I’d hate to see it after the second muslim invasion.
I/S – I read the book “Back To Eden” many years ago . Would recommend to everyone as a must read and medical reference. Back to Eden gardening is excellent for many reasons, the old ways are the best ways in just about anything. Very interesting Indentured.
Ah, ‘Pimentos de Padron’, absolutely heavenly! Every time I walk the Camino de Santiago, I have my eye on the bar menus for them once into Galicia. An Estrella and a plate of these is a wonderful snack before dinner. Btw, you can cook mini-sweet peppers the same way. Not quite as good as Padrons but still tasty. Thanks, IS!
DaP
you convinced me, im buying seeds tomorrow?
Both Spain and Portugal have fascinating people/cuisine/history. James Michener wrote a travelogue titled “Iberia” some decades ago that is a very worthwhile read.