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Pimientos de Padrón
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Pimientos de Padrón are Galician little green peppers blistered quickly in hot olive oil and finished with coarse salt. The trick is fierce heat, a short cook, and no meddling.
Appetizers & Snacks
Spanish
Outdoor Dining
Quick Meal
Dinner Party
5 min
Active Time
8 min cook•13 min total
Yield4 servings
Pimientos de Padrón are Galician, from the land around Padrón and Herbón, and they are barely a recipe: small green peppers, olive oil, coarse salt. Some bite, some don't. That little gamble is part of the dish, not a fault to fix.
The method that decides it is heat. The oil must be hot enough to blister the skins fast before the peppers collapse into limp green cloth. Let them jump and spot black in the pan, turn them once or twice, then get them out while they still hold their shape. Salt them heavily while the oil still shines on them, so the crystals cling.
If you can't find true Padrón peppers where you are, shishito peppers are the closest honest substitute. They are usually milder and a little straighter, but their thin skins blister well and they carry the same small surprise at the table. No hace falta haber pisado España. You need good little peppers, hot oil, and the sense to stop early. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Pimientos de Padrón belong to Galicia, especially the area around Padrón and the parish of Herbón, where the protected Pemento de Herbón is grown. The peppers came from American seed carried by Franciscan friars to the convent of Herbón, then settled into Galician kitchen gardens and markets. The Galician saying says it plainly: os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non, some are hot and some are not.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
pimientos de Padrón
Quantity
300g
washed and dried very well
olive oil
Quantity
45ml
coarse sea salt
Quantity
6g, or to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| pimientos de Padrónwashed and dried very well | 300g |
| olive oil | 45ml |
| coarse sea salt | 6g, or to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Wide heavy frying pan or skillet
- •Tongs
- •Clean kitchen towel
Instructions
- 1
Dry the peppers
Wash the peppers and dry them very well with a cloth. I mean dry, not damp. Water in hot oil spits, and wet skins steam instead of blistering.
- 2
Heat the oil
Set a wide frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers and a pepper sizzles the moment it touches the pan, it is ready. If the pan is small, cook in two batches; crowding lowers the heat and the peppers go soft before they blister.
- 3
Blister fast
Add the peppers in one layer and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning with tongs, until the skins are wrinkled and patched with dark blisters. Keep the heat lively. You want charred spots and tender flesh, not peppers cooked down to nothing.
A few blackened patches are right. A whole burnt pepper is not. There, that is the difference. - 4
Salt and serve
Lift the peppers onto a warm plate, leaving most of the oil behind. Shower them at once with coarse sea salt while the skins are still glossy. Serve immediately, stems on, and eat them with your fingers. Tal como se hace allí.
Chef Tips
- •True Padrón peppers are small, thin-skinned, and picked green. Buy them firm and glossy, with no wrinkling at the stem. Tired peppers taste tired, even if you fry them well.
- •If Padrón peppers are out of reach, use shishito peppers. They blister properly and keep the little pepper lottery, though they are usually milder and less rounded in flavor.
- •Do not add garlic, vinegar, pimentón, or sauce. This dish is peppers, oil, and salt. Anything else may taste fine, but it is another thing wearing the name.
- •Use a wide pan and work in batches if needed. The pan must stay hot enough to mark the skins quickly.
- •Serve them right away. They are still edible later, but the skins soften and the salt melts, and the whole point has walked off.
Advance Preparation
- •The peppers can be washed and dried up to 4 hours ahead. Keep them uncovered or loosely covered at room temperature so the skins stay dry.
- •Do not fry them ahead. Pimientos de Padrón are best in the first few minutes after they leave the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 80g)
Calories
110 calories
Total Fat
10 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
9 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
590 mg
Total Carbohydrates
4 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
1 g
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