Cook and Drink

Pimientos de Padrón are mild, sweet tasting and small green peppers, originally from the Galicia region in Spain, but now they are more widely available. Story has it that one in a hundred (or more?) is actually very spicy, but rest assured, we have eaten many more and never encountered a spicy one.

Wine Pairing

The dish combines sweetness and saltiness. The charring of the peppers gives extra flavour. In general you’re looking for a crisp non-oaked white wine. We enjoyed a glass of white wine, made with verdejo grapes in the Spanish Rueda area by Bardos. The wine has a beautiful yellow colour and its taste is fruity and fresh with nice acidity. A glass of Cava will also be great with the peppers!

We could also imagine drinking a Vinho Verde with the Pimientos de Padrón. Vinho Verde is a wine from the most northern part of Portugal, between the Douro and Minho rivers. Verde refers to the fact that the grapes are harvested very early in the year. This implies that the grapes contain a fairly small amount of sugar. As a result of this the wine (in most cases) has a fairly low percentage of alcohol (think 10%). But don’t be surprised if you find one with a higher percentage. In general Vinho Verde is undervalued. It’s a great, very tasty wine; one that is not just wonderful on a summer’s evening

What You Need

• Pimientos de Padrón
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

What You Do

1. Wash the peppers and dry
2. Heat a heavy iron skillet, add olive oil and fry or better said blister the peppers for a few minutes
3. Make sure the peppers are fried and not cooked
4. Remove from the heat
5. Sprinkle some salt over the peppers
6. Move the pan making sure the salt is evenly distributed and somewhat absorbed in the olive oil
7. Serve immediately