Shishito Peppers are the best peppers ever! I just love them, want to marry them (sorry Lon), and eat them up all at once. You can just just blister them (see pic down the page) in olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. and they are already delicious. If you want to take it up just one teeny weeny baby step, you can try them with bacon and Thai basil. Mmmm good.
Do you want to know how I came up with this recipe? Remember my herb garden? Well, while we were in Maryland/DC this weekend, all of them died except for the Italian Basil and the Thai Basil. That’s all I have left. I decided on the Thai Basil and I actually think this recipe kicks butt, so I guess it was a mixed blessing.
Bacon Basil Shishito Peppers
~3 to 4 side dish servings
- 1 slice bacon, chopped
- 7 ounces shishito peppers
- 2 teaspoons fresh Thai basil leaves
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions –
Heat bacon in a wok on medium heat ontil the fat releases. Once you get a little puddle on fat in the center, turn up the heat and add the Shishito peppers. Toss to coat the in the yummy bacon fat and stir around until they are blistered like this.
Add the Thai Basil and toss around for another 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. (Be careful if your bacon is salty.) Serve immediately.
Is is sad I want to sing, “I’m a pepper, you’re a pepper…”
Bacon always makes everything better, doesn’t it? 😉
I’ve been on a lookout for shishito peppers – can’t wait to try them. Love your preparation with bacon!
Natasha, I buy it in the Farmer’s Market but I’ve seen it at some Japanese markets too.
Love ordering shishitos for appetizers. Never had bacon or basil with them though.
Shishito peppers will play Russian roulette with your taste buds. While shishitos are touted as mild sweet-hot peppers … watch out for the hotties. I can’t think of any other capsicum pepper that has more flavor or aroma than shishitos. Pan fry these peppers in light oil and eat them right away, gently touched against smoked sea salt or dry shredded smoked fish (very Japanese) … yum, yum! This pepper has a high concentration of vitamin A and C, so they’re good for you. I love Shishito Peppers!!!
They are tough to find! This is the second year that I have been growing them in conatiners. I currently have 7 plants, and tons of peppers coming in as I write this. The olive oil, and sea salt recipe is fantastic. I have also put them on hamburgers. If you have never had Shishito peppers, you have never lived!