Chef notes
Shishito peppers are fantastic for grilling because they are quick and easy and taste great. The exciting thing about eating shishito peppers is that one out of 10 may be spicy and you typically can't tell which one might be hot. However, there is a small trick: While grilling, if you can smell the spice coming from the pepper, chances are you are cooking a hot one! Both the sweet and spicy peppers taste delicious when grilled until they have a smoky charred flavor, which is complemented by the salty, citrusy ponzu sauce.
Technique tip: The peppers cook and color really quickly on high heat, so please be sure to not leave them unattended.
Swap option: Use baby sweet bell peppers.
Special equipment: Eight 7-inch bamboo skewers.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup yuzu juice
- 24 shishito peppers
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
For the ponzu sauce:
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Reserve in refrigerator until ready to use for the grilled peppers.
For the peppers:
1.Rinse the peppers and remove the stems. Using two skewers, thread the peppers, piercing them with one skewer through the fatter top of the pepper and the other through the thinner bottom. Start with the smaller peppers towards the bottom. Pick the next largest pepper and continue gradually getting bigger.
2.When ready to grill, brush a small amount of grapeseed oil on both sides of the peppers and season with salt and pepper.
3.Grill on both sides really quickly, for about 15 to 20 seconds, or just until evenly charred. Then once off the grill drizzle with ponzu sauce and serve.
