Pimientos de Padrón are small green Spanish peppers that are typically sauteed in olive oil until their skin becomes blistered and browned, topped with sea salt and served as an appetizer or tapa at restaurants throughout Barcelona. They originated from Padrón in the northwest part of Spain in Galicia.

When we lived in Barcelona, we ordered this dish as a tapa when out to eat or as an appetizer to a larger meal. I have never been able to find these peppers at grocery stores in the northeast, so each summer I try my hand at growing them in our garden. This year I was lucky enough to get a handful out of our garden, enough for a small dish.

What makes this dish so fun is that it becomes a game of spicy Russian roulette: some of the peppers are spicy and some are not and there is no way of knowing which is which. We always have a blast selecting one each at a time and seeing who gets a spicy one. It’s an appetizer and entertainment all in one.

If you're looking for a Spanish-inspired dessert, you may love this Basque-style Cheesecake, with instructions for how to make it even if you don't have a springform pan. Or for a Spanish main course, try these Flamenquines, which are thin pork cutlets wrapped around ham and cheese, breaded and pan-fried until crispy.

Substitute:

You could make this with other peppers, such as shishito peppers which are easier to find in the store. They are also delicious prepared this way, but they tend not to be spicy and it eliminates the fun of comparing who gets the spicier peppers.

How to Eat Pimientos de Padrón

This dish is meant to be finger food. To eat the peppers, hold the stem and bite off the entire pepper so that you are left just holding the stem. You can usually eat a whole pepper in one bite.