BLISTERED SHISHITO PEPPERS IN LEMON-JALAPENO DRESSING

Υλικά

Extra-virgin olive oil

1½ pounds shishito peppers, stems removed

Diamond Crystal kosher salt

½/ cup buckwheat groats

2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced

1 shallot, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (about ½ lemon)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

½ cup fresh mint leaves, torn

½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Οδηγίες

1. Set a large pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the shishito peppers to the pan and cook, flipping occasionally, until blistered, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer them to a cutting board and when they are cool enough to handle, cut them crosswise into thin slices. Transfer them to a large bowl and season with a pinch of salt.

2. Add the buckwheat groats to the pan and toast, stirring often, until the buckwheat has darkened in color and smells nutty and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

3. To a small bowl, add the jalapeños, shallot, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir and season to taste.

Pour this dressing over the peppers, then add the mint and basil. Give a few big mixes to combine.

4. Scoop the salad onto a serving plate and top with the buckwheat groats

right before serving.

Σημειώσεις

I served a version of this salad on crostini at a party, and the one thing I kept hearing was how people had never had shishito peppers prepared this way before—-probably because the way we usually encounter them in restaurants is blistered and whole. I'm a big fan of slicing and sautéing them, ever since stumbling upon the technique in one of the 987 (give or take) recipes I cooked, after I rescued The Essential New York Times Cookbook from someone's stoop. The sliced shishitos— seeds and all-have a gentle, green heat that's amped up by a lemony jalapeño dressing. To top it off, one of my favorite ingredients, crackly

buckwheat groats, brings some much-needed crunch, but if you're craving some protein, Crumbled Chickpeas (page 40) would be great here, too.