Surely one of Spain’s most famous dishes besides patatas bravas are pimientos de padrón. These green peppers are completely plant-based and you can order them with confidence at all tapas restaurants throughout Spain. Very healthy it is not, because they are often fried in hefty dash of oil and a load of salt goes on top. Eating pimientos de padron every day AND patatas bravas is not the best idea, but it is super tasty! The occasional padron is just nice. You don’t have to be a super chef to make it at home. Anyone can make these pimientos de padron.
No spicy surprise
The peppers are evergreen and are native to western Spain. Fortunately, they are not spicy, so no worries that your mouth will be on fire after eating this tapa. They are available in supermarkets all over Spain, but sometimes a bit more difficult to obtain in the Netherlands.
I also remember one of the first times I really consciously ate pimientos de padron. That was in Fuerteventura when I was on vacation there for a week. At the time, I had not been a vegetarian for very long and was always looking for tasty vega options. By the way, there are excellent vega restaurants in Fuerteventura . Vegan I think by now also at the joints I was at at the time. By the way, did you know that from Cadíz you can also take a boat to Fuerteventura? So you can even go to this island without taking the plane, because to Cadiz, of course, you can also go by public transport or car.
Where to buy pimientos de padron
Check out tokos or Spanish stores. Can’t find them? Then you can opt for pointed peppers or these days you also have those snack peppers, you can use those too. These are often not green, but colorful! In any case, make sure they are sweet and not spicy. For the nicest presentation of your pimientos de Padron, of course, use those well-known
Pimientos de padrón
Ingredients
- 400 Padrón peppers small green chillies
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- coarse sea salt
Preparation
- Peel the garlic and cut it into four wedges. Grab a pan and put on high heat. Pour in the olive oil and let it get hot. getting hot.
- Meanwhile, clean the peppers briefly with water and dry them well afterwards.
- Add the garlic wedges to the now warmed olive oil and sauté briefly. Now immediately add the peppers. Let fry for about 30 seconds, almost frying well, before turning them over. All sides need to be baked equally. You can poke the peppers with a knife for a moment to get the air out.
- The peppers are ready as soon as they develop black spots. I occasionally press the peppers so they “vent”. Scoop them out of the pan without taking the oil with them and place them in a bowl. You can also let them lay out on some kitchen paper first. Now add the coarse sea salt and mix well.
- Grab a nice bowl to serve, like the typical tapas bowls.
Notes
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