Shishito Peppers with Toasted Sesame Glaze

Shishito peppers are small green peppers, wrinkled looking and thin-skinned, with a light grassy, citrus flavor. 1 in 10 peppers is hot but generally, they are quite mild.

In this recipe, I will show you how to char the peppers on the grill, then serve them basted with a sweet and savory sesame glaze. Enjoy these shishito peppers as a side dish with grilled chicken or steak, or on their own for a delicious snack.

Chef notes:

Shishito peppers can be cooked in a frying pan on high heat instead of the grill, and don't need to be skewered.

Specialty equipment:

Grill

Skewers

Yield: serves 2–4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Shishito Peppers

Canola oil

½ lb shishito peppers

Sesame Glaze

1 tbsp sesame oil

¼ cup onion, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tsp water

Toasted sesame seeds

Korean red pepper flakes

For the peppers

• Preheat a grill on high heat.

• Skewer the shishito peppers with two large skewers, at the top and bottom of each pepper. This will make it easy to turn and char the peppers evenly.

• Drizzle the peppers with a small amount of oil and set aside while you prepare the sauce.

For the sesame glaze

• Pour the sesame oil into a small saucepot on high heat.

• Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

• Once the onions are starting to brown add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.

• Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and bring it to a boil.

• Mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry and whisk it into the sauce. Turn off the heat and place into a bowl for basting the shishito peppers.

Finishing the plate

• Add the skewered peppers to the grill and char them for about 2 minutes.

• Turn the peppers over to char the other side and start brushing them with the sesame glaze.

• Cook for 5–7 minutes, turning every 2 minutes and brushing them with glaze.

• Turn off the grill and serve the peppers on a platter, brushed with more glaze, and garnished with a pinch of Korean red pepper flakes and toasted sesame seeds. Serve the charred shishitos with the rest of the glaze for dipping.

©chefalisonbiebs