Have you ever heard about Padrón peppers? There’s a saying that goes Pimientos de Padrón, unos pican y otros no (Padrón peppers, some are hot and some are not). This refers to the fact that most of Padrón peppers are sweet and flavorful, while only a few of them can be quite hot, which makes eating them a culinary Russian roulette. And not only a gastronomic pleasure, but a lot of fun too.
These little morsels of vegetable goodness originate in the northwestern region of Galicia, around the town of Padrón, hence their name. I have some kinfolk living there, so I visit often and have the chance to eat them at the local bars… delish. Padrón peppers are usually eaten fried in olive oil and with a sprinkle of coarse salt that not only enhances their flavor, but adds a nice crunch. No need for any other garnish, simplicity and quality food at its best.
- ½ pound fresh Padrón peppers
- Virgin olive oil for frying
- Coarse salt or fleur de sel
- Wash the peppers thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Pour the oil in a pan to a depth of 1" approximately and put it on medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, grab a handful of peppers and throw them into the oil. Use a lid as the oil will splash quite a lot. They should brown on both sides, but should not get too dark. Turn them over if necessary.
- When done, take them out with a slotted spoon and sprinkle with the salt. Serve immediately while piping hot accompanied by a sturdy country bread.
For eating the peppers, you’ve got to hold them by the stem, bite into the flesh and pull, leaving the stem intact. You’ll end up with a nice collection of little stems on your plate. Fried Padron peppers are superb served with a chilled fruity Galician white wine like Ribeiro or Albariño.
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I do not care that it is already after 10, I just want these cute little peppers. Sounds like fun to have a plate of them, sme sweet and some hot. Love your pictures
Love padron peppers!! Perfect tapa with a glass of cava!
I love any kind of peppers can eat them cooked raw whatever these look great!
I LOVE pimientos de Padron! I am lucky enough to find them here in the Azores sometimes and then we have a tapas night!