Restaurant (Re)creation: Contigo's Pimientos de Padrón

~ Contigo's Padrón Peppers (above) ~

~ My Padrón (Re)creation (close-up) ~

~ My Padrón (Re)creation ~

This wonderfully simple recipe was inspired by my favorite tapas dish at Contigo: Pimientos de Padrón. If you haven't been to Contigo yet, it's a must. Their menu is comprised of inventive tapas dishes and delicious cava.  These Padrón peppers are a great snack to have with a glass of wine or an ice cold beer. Most of them are mild but occasionally you'll get a hot one, which just makes them all that much more fun. You can think of them as a more exciting alternative to nuts or olives. Try to make this dish as soon as you can because Padrón season is coming to an end. If you're lucky, you might still be able to find them at the farmer's market but not for much longer (season is typically June-September)
Ps. These are highly addictive so buy them in bulk if you find them- they can be stored for about 2 weeks (but you'll probably devour them quicker than that)...

Ingredients:

• Padrón peppers (as many as you can find)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt to taste

Directions:

Wash whole peppers and dry them on a paper towel.

Put a sauté pan on medium heat and add the olive oil.

Toss in peppers and let them cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6-8 minutes. 

Remove peppers when they start to blister and season liberally with sea salt.

Let the fun begin! 


Contigo
http://www.contigosf.com
1320 Castro Street (@ 24th)
San Francisco, CA
(415) 285-0250