Whether it's gloriously sunny or pours it down this Bank Holiday weekend, you can still make these tasty Fried Padrón Peppers on a BBQ or in your frying pan, whatever the weather!
Padrón Peppers traditionally come from the region of the same name in northwestern Spain, and they are a popular tapas side throughout much of the country. Although they're now available all year round due to being grown in greenhouses, they are best eaten when they're at their freshest in the peak season from the end of May to October, so now's a great time to try them if you've yet to experience them.
The most common way to enjoy padróns is to simply fry them up with a little Olive Oil and Garlic, and allow their skins to blister which makes the peppers almost melt in your mouth when you eat them. A liberal sprinkling of Salt finishes them off beautifully and you'll soon see why they're such popular snacks in bars as they go down very well with a cold drink or two ;)
Watch out though, whilst most padrón peppers are relatively mild heat-wise, it's estimated that 1 in 10 may be pretty damn hot (hence the nickname Spanish Tapas Roulette) and there's no way to tell which ones they'll be, so fry up a batch and live a little dangerously!
- Padrón Peppers - 5 or 6 per person as a starter/side
- 1 Garlic Clove - per person
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
Method:-
- Drizzle Olive Oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the Garlic Clove whole.
- Wash your Padrón Peppers and pat them dry, before adding them to the pan whole. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to cook two portions at the same time.
- Allow them to sizzle in the pan for a few minutes and start to blister on one side, before turning them over. Fry for another few minutes until they start to go brown.
- Remove from the pan, plate them up and sprinkle a generous amount of Salt all over. You can use a good quality Sea Salt or an infused Chilli Salt depending on your personal tastes. Enjoy!
Have you tried Padrón Peppers?
