Ask the Test Kitchen: How do you cook Shishito peppers?

Question: I planted Shishito pepper plants in my garden this year. What are some ways to prepare/cook them?

— Denise Krupa,

Sterling Heights, Mich.

Answer: Shishito peppers are a mostly mild chile pepper native to Japan, where they are a popular snack food. But, sources say, about one in 10 of these light green peppers will have some heat to them. And that heat will pack a good punch — the kind of punch a raw jalapeño or serrano pepper would.

Shishito peppers average about 3 to 4 inches long; some are longer. The peppers are about 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter, and their outer skin has small ridges. Trader Joe’s sells 6-ounce bags (with about 20 peppers) for about $3. Once farmers markets are in full swing, you also may find the peppers there.

Shishitos are also a trendy menu item. You might see them served as an appetizer because they are a great finger food.

Shishito peppers are easy to work with and take to all forms of cooking: grilling, sautéing, deep-frying and using in stir-fries. To easily grill shishito peppers, skewer a dozen on two wooden or metal skewers and place over medium-hot heat. Using two skewers makes it easier to turn the peppers so they char on all sides. Shishito peppers also can be roasted in the oven or you can eat them raw. When eaten raw, their flavor has a hint of sweetness and their texture is crisp like a green pepper.

Shishito peppers also take to many flavors, from Asian- to Spanish-style ingredients or simply sautéed in butter and sprinkled with bread crumbs and grated cheese.

One of the more common ways to prepare shishitos is to blister them in a skillet in a small amount of oil. But it’s best to poke them a few times with a fork to let the steam inside them vent. Otherwise, shishito peppers have a tendency to split and then spit the hot oil. To prepare them this way, heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet. Rinse and pat the peppers dry and poke them a few times. When the oil is hot, add the peppers to the skillet and let them cook for a few minutes so the skin chars on the side. Start shaking the skillet to continue charring the peppers all over. The peppers will not completely char on all sides. Once charred, remove them to a platter and give them a generous sprinkling of coarse sea salt or sesame seeds. You also can serve them with a dipping sauce.

Today’s recipes pair shishito peppers with roasted cauliflower and an almond pesto-like sauce. It’s a perfect side dish. We also tempura-battered the peppers and served them with a spicy dipping sauce. Staff taste testers swooned over both recipes and loved the simple blistered peppers for snacking on.

Charred Cauliflower and Shishito Peppers with Picada Sauce

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Picada is a Catalan-style pesto, made here with almonds, parsley and chocolate, which adds a touch of bitterness to this side dish.

1 head cauliflower, trimmed, halved, and cut into 11/2 wedges

2 Tbsp. plus 1/2 cup olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/3 cup canola oil, for frying

12 shishito peppers

1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley, divided

1 Tbsp. finely grated dark chocolate, optional

2 tsp. sherry

Preheat the oven broiler. Arrange cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush both sides with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper; broil, flipping once, until charred and tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil and the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat.

Cook until garlic is slightly golden, about 3 minutes, taking care not to let it burn. Transfer garlic and oil to a bowl and let cool. Wipe skillet clean and heat canola oil over medium-high. Poke the peppers a few times with a fork and fry them until blistered and slightly crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes.

Transfer peppers to paper towels to drain; season with salt. Stir almonds, 1 cup parsley, the chocolate, sherry, salt and pepper into reserved garlic oil; spread onto a serving platter. Top with cauliflower; garnish with fried peppers and remaining parsley.

Adapted from www.savuer.com. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Nutrition information not available.

Shishito Pepper Tempura

Makes: 24

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

24 shishito peppers

Other vegetables, such as sliced onion, broccoli florets, green beans or thinly sliced carrot (optional)

For the tempura batter:

4 cups cooking oil for deep frying

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup rice flour, divided

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg yolk

2/3 cup ice cold water

Ponzu sauce for dipping

Rinse the peppers and pat them dry. Prepare other vegetables if using. Set aside. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan to about 350 degrees.

Sift the plain flour, cornstarch, 1/2 cup rice flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolk slightly and stir in the ice water.

Add the dry ingredients to the egg/water mixture and stir until barely mixed. The resulting mixture should be slightly lumpy. Put the remaining 1/2 cup of rice flour into a dry bowl.

Dredge peppers in the rice flour, then dip immediately into the batter, one by one. Shake off any excess batter and drop the coated pepper into the hot oil. Working in batches, cook only about 5 or 6 peppers at a time; adding too many pieces at once can cause the temperature of the oil to drop quickly and will result in soggy, oil-laden tempura.

Deep fry the peppers until golden brown, then remove from the oil with a skimmer and drain on paper towels.

Repeat with remaining peppers, allowing the oil to return to 350 degrees before adding the next batch.

Serve immediately with ponzu sauce for dipping.

Adapted from www.earthydelights.com. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Nutrition information not available.