Blistered Balsamic Padrón Peppers Recipe
A flavourful starter or a delicious finger food option, this Blistered Balsamic Padrón Peppers recipe was kindly contributed to us by Josh Mills, the current Head Chef at Mammoth Cafe in Melbourne.
For anyone who’s read Samin Nosrat’s cookbook: Salt Fat Acid Heat, this recipe exemplifies all the four key elements in her book, hence the title. There’s the literal saltiness from the salt, acid (and sweetness) from the Balsamic vinegar, fat from the olive oil and heat from frying them – and the result is a moreish snack that is very difficult to say no to.
Having said that, these peppers are sometimes referred to as the ‘Russian Roulette of Peppers’ because one in about ten are hot (as in spicy hot) – but trust me that still won’t stop you. In terms of availability, your best bet at finding them will be at your local market, and if not, you can seek them out directly at this farm in Queensland.
Enjoy this very easy and delicious Blistered Balsamic Padrón Peppers recipe, and good luck with the roulette!
Blistered Balsamic Padrón Peppers
Contributed by Josh Mills – Head Chef of Mammoth Cafe, Melbourne
375g Padrón Peppers
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1.5 tbsp olive oil for frying
A good pinch of sea salt (preferably Maldon Salt)
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium to large sized frying pan on medium to high heat
Once the oil heats up, add the Padrón Peppers in batches (about 15 at a time) so there is some room left between the peppers
Allow the peppers to blister (grey-white patches will appear), this will take a few minutes, then set the peppers aside in a serving bowl
Once all the peppers have been ‘blistered’ add the remaining half tablespoon of olive oil to the hot pan and return all the peppers to the frying pan (they should have slightly reduced in size due to the blistering)
Pour a tablespoon of the Balsamic Vinegar over the peppers, along with a good pinch of the salt and stir well to ensure the vinegar and salt is thoroughly distributed
Taste one of the peppers (allow it to cool), and adjust the salt and vinegar to your taste. It should be a good balance of both saltiness and sweetness, kind of like the flavour you’d expect from a salt and vinegar chip
Return all the peppers to the serving bowl and enjoy
