Grilled Padrón Pepper & Sea Salt Hors d’oeuvre

I have fallen in love with these tiny Spanish peppers known as Padrón Peppers.  I found them at my local farmers market and made a simple yet delicious hors d’oeuvre with them.  These grilled Padrón Peppers offer a nice salty heat and are addictive!

Per the website Food and Style, the formal name of the pepper is Pimientos de Padrón but they are also known as “Russian Roulette” peppers.   They are sweet and nutty,  yet every once in a while you will get a really hot one in the bunch, hence the nickname “Russian Roulette” peppers.  They are originally from the Galicia region in Northwest Spain and are popular as tapas.

I am sure there are many ways to prepare them; this is my simple recipe.

Grilled Padrón Peppers

Pre-heat the grill.  Wash and dry the peppers.  Toss them with olive oil.

Place peppers on the hot grill until blistered, turning and cooking on both sides.

The peppers are ready to remove from the heat when they are blistered and slightly shriveled as shown below.

Place your peppers on your serving tray and sprinkle with sea salt.  I like to serve the peppers with extra salt so my guests can help themselves if they prefer a heavier dose.  

These peppers will melt in your mouth!  I just discovered these Padrón Peppers this summer.  Have you had them before and if so, how do you prepare them?

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