This week we are all about Pimientos de padrón. Hot or sweet, you won't know until you try them. Try our easy Pimientos de padrón fritos recipe. Fried peppers are a delicious Spanish appetizer that is easy to make at home.
Pimientos de padrón also known as Padrón peppers can be sweet or hot and you won't know until you try them. This has given rise to the funny Galician aphorism "Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non" which is directly translated to "Padrón peppers, some are hot, some are not".
Under European Union law Padrón peppers have a Protected designation of origin under the name "Pemento de Herbón" since 2010. Padrón peppers are nowadays grown all around the Mediterranean and US, but the taste can differ quite a bit from the "Pemento de Herbón". So if you have the chance to put your money on the real deal, it will be worth it.
Padrón peppers are smaller and have a sweeter flavour or a hot kick compared to bell peppers. They have been cultivated since the 17th century, originally from the town of Padrón, which is situated on the west coast of Spain near Santiago de Compostela. Padrón peppers have an elongated shape and a thick skin. They grow on vines that climb up to 10 meters high and they are usually picked when the pepper is immature and green.
Lets talk about Pimientos de padrón fritos
Pimientos de padrón Fritos, translates to fried Padrón peppers and are a delicious Spanish appetizer usually served as a tapa or a snack. Easy to make at home and a perfect salty treat for any time of the day.
Pimientos de padrón fritos are an appetizer originating from the Galicia region of Spain. This dish has been eaten in Spain for centuries. With their hot or mild flavours and crunchy texture, they are an absolute favourite as a starter, snack or as part of a tapas meal. Traditionally, they were fried in olive oil but today they can also be deep-fried or fried in other oils such as sunflower or corn. After frying the peppers are topped with salt which gives the dish a wonderful crunchy texture.
This dish is a must-try if you are visiting Spain, but you can also make them at home. It is super easy and well worth a try.
Pimientos de padrón fritos recipe
You need:
300 grams of padrón peppers
Olive oil for frying
Salt
How you make it:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat.
When you see that the oil is hot enough, add the padrón peppers and lower the heat medium.
Leave the peppers for a few minutes, turning them with a wooden spoon.
After a few minutes, you will see that the skin is separating from the pepper, with small bubbles, and that they are acquiring a darker tone.
Remove them from the oil and leave them on absorbent paper and top them with sea salt after taste.
Enjoy on their own, with slices of baguettes, as part of a tapas meal and of course served with a great Spanish wine or beers.