Glazed Shishito Peppers

I got very excited when I saw a big bag of shishito peppers in the produce section of my local supermarket. Once Chana Rivky, our photographer, easily found them in Boro Park, we were good to go. When my help saw me preparing them, she laughed, “Those are not hot!” The truth is, although shishitos are a more mild pepper, for American taste buds they have just the right kick! And sometimes you’ll get one that’s a little hotter than the rest. Those are a nice surprise. When eating shishitos, bite off the pepper and discard the stem. Feel free to cut the oil and honey in half if you would like to enjoy these as a lower-calorie side (or without any glaze at all!).

Directions

1. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat until hot. Spray with nonstick cooking spray (you can shut the heat for a moment for safety, if desired).

2. Add one layer of peppers (don’t overcrowd; you will need to cook them in two to three batches), sprinkle with salt, and cook until blistered (time will depend on the strength of your fire), flipping halfway through.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and honey.

4. When all peppers have been cooked, lower heat, return all peppers to pan, add sauce, and stir to coat the peppers. Cook for one additional minute.

5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and crushed red pepper, only if additional heat is desired.