Blistered green peppers

On a hot day, or any day for that matter, you may find yourself craving something salty and spicy at the same time.

You could open a bag of crisps. Or toss a few handfuls of green peppers into hot oil. Such as pimientos de Padrón, which come with the following recommendation: ‘Some are hot, some are not’. The combination of softened flesh, crispy skin and the spicy pepper flavour mixed with salt is nothing short of divine. And childishly simple to make.

Preparation

Fill a frying pan one-third full with fresh oil and heat it over a medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, toss a handful of peppers into the pan (not too many at once). Turn the peppers over a few times with tongs until the skins blister and are lightly browned—about two minutes.

Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and leave them to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until all the peppers have been blistered.

Sprinkle generously with salt (yes, generously). Eat immediately.

Is even this too much work? At Bar Louie Louie in Amsterdam, among others, they are on the menu.

Recipe adapted from: Marjan Ippel, What (not) to eat