One of the simplest Spanish delicacies is a tapa called Pimientos de Padrón, small, flavorful green peppers that are blistered in olive oil over high heat and sprinkled with coarse salt. That’s it. The popularity of this tapa over centuries is a testament to what makes Spanish food so special: its simplicity.
A few simple ingredients are made to shine with just a little bit of leverage — good olive oil and salt, perhaps some sliced baguette on the side. That same simplicity and attention to ingredients applies to other Spanish tapas, from tortilla de patatas (Spanish tortilla) to pan con tomate (grated fresh tomato on bread) or gazpacho.
This sandwich, or bocadillo, is an homage to this simple Spanish tapa. As such, it requires good, flavorful olive oil, fancy flaked salt and a crusty, rustic baguette. (Ideally, look for barra gallega, a half-baguette sold in some bakeries and Spanish markets.) I add farmer cheese for creaminess and a bit of lemon zest for brightness, but the bocadillo still shines in its simplicity. If you can’t find padrón peppers at your farmers market — or in your garden — you can substitute shishito peppers, which are just a bit smaller.
Blistered Padrón Pepper Bocadillo
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
6 to 8 padrón peppers, stems/tops pinched off
Flaky sea salt
8-inch length of a crusty, rustic baguette, sliced lengthwise, leaving one edge intact
¼ cup farmer cheese
Fresh lemon zest, grated
DIRECTIONS
Heat a cast-iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Drizzle in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the peppers and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until they blister on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove from heat and sprinkle generously with coarse salt to taste.
Spread the farmer cheese on the bottom half of the baguette and top with the blistered peppers. Garnish with an extra drizzle of olive oil, some fresh lemon zest and a dash of coarse salt before replacing the top half of the baguette and serving immediately.
Registered dietitian and food writer Laura McLively is the author of “The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook.” Follow her at @myberkeleybowl and www.lauramclively.com.