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Blistered Shishito Peppers with Grape Tomatoes

Making blistered shishito peppers at home, with the addition of grape tomatoes, renders a quick and easy savory appetizer that disappears in minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people, as single appetizer, or 8 when part of a larger spread
Course: Appetizer
Ingredients Instructions Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ lb. fresh shishito peppers
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes about a dozen, washed
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil like grapeseed or sunflower
  • ¼ to ½ tsp. Southwest spice mix; I use our Zippy Southwest spice mix, which you can make at home
  • course sea salt or kosher salt to taste
Optional serving condiments:
  • Regular or spicy ranch dressing
  • Lemon wedges

Instructions
 

  1. Prepare the shishito peppers and tomatoes by rinsing and drying them, leaving the stems on the peppers. Put them in a medium bowl and toss with the oil to cover.
  2. Heat a cast-iron skillet on high until it is smoking hot. (We do this outside.) Add the peppers and tomatoes and sear, turning when they are nicely blistered on the first side and continuing until you have a nice sear on all sides (5-7 minutes, total). The tomatoes will cook faster than the peppers and should be removed first onto a serving platter, followed by the peppers. Sprinkle with the spice mix and salt and serve immediately.

Notes

If you are not using a cast iron pan outside, you can be more judicious with the heat, and be sure not to heat a non-stick skillet without food in it, because it's not good for the pan and releases noxious chemicals in the air that would kill your parakeet, if you had one.
Don't skip the southwest spice mix. I did once, and got chastised by The Grill-Meister and our Musical Millennial. "It needs the Zippy, Mom," he said. "Zippy just adds something and makes it perfect." OK - I hear you!!!
Click here for our Zippy Southwest recipe.