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PadrĂłn me, boy... Marin’s all hot over ‘teeny weeny thugs’—and we don’t mean our kids! by B r o o ke J a c k s o n
I
’m addicted to the little peppers called “pimentos de PadrĂłn.â€? At once spicy, salty, tender and more-ish, the avors urge eaters to have another and another until the plate is empty. The little stems make perfect handles, ideal for grabbing then biting the PadrĂłn and every once in a while there is a very HOT one, making a game of Russian Roulette out of the consumption. Traditionally grown in the Galicia region of Northern Spain, PadrĂłn peppers have been around since the 17th Century. Monks brought them back to Spain from South America and grew the proliďŹ c peppers in the gardens at their convent near Herbon, a small village in the PadrĂłn district. They became a favorite of the locals, which allowed the monks to trade the peppers for much-needed goods. Nowadays, they are grown by the locals and are a standard at authentic tapas bars throughout Spain. Each August, the PadrĂłnians celebrate their namesake pepper in Herbon with a festival. It was there that the writer Calvin Trillin ďŹ rst discovered this darling of the pepper world. In an essay he wrote for Gourmet magazine in January 2005, he describes attending the PadrĂłn Pepper Festival—“a truly splendid event, marred for me only by the haunting thought that this would probably be my last go at pimientos de PadrĂłn for a good long whileâ€?—and his subsequent search for PadrĂłns stateside. During his visit to Galicia, he had gotten some seeds of the peppers and, upon his return to New York, given them to Alice Waters who, in turn, gave them to a farmer to grow for Chez Panisse. The current
prevalence of the ďŹ nger-sized peppers in California now may, in fact, be due to the efforts of Trillin and Waters. At the Civic Center farmers market on Sundays, shoppers can ďŹ nd PadrĂłn peppers at County Line, Full Belly, Triple T, Quetzal and Happy Quail, as well as a few others. Recently Whole Foods Markets throughout Marin also were stocking the little beauties in their produce departments. Menus at restaurants in the county have periodically featured the diminutive vegetable this summer: Vin Antico had them on their Happy Hour menu sauteed with Shishito peppers, a close Japanese cousin to PadrĂłns; Picco in Larkspur offered them as a starter served with sea salt and on the appetizers menu at Marche Aux Fleurs in Ross, they were mixed with nardello and Hungarian peppers and sprinkled with Hawaiian red salt. As tasty as they are to eat, PadrĂłns have a number of surprising health beneďŹ ts. One of the most unexpected advantages of eating PadrĂłns is that they are thought to aid digestion—even with the occasional piquant kick. They also contain a truckload of vitamins: A, B1, B2, C and P as well as calcium and iron. In addition, consumption of the peppers can decrease high blood pressure, encourage healthy cholesterol, preserve good blood circulation and quicken the healing of scars. Preparation is easy: grill or pan roast with plenty of olive oil until the skin begins to blister and blacken in places. Then toss with the best sea salt you can get your hands on. They are in season through September, with any luck, so don’t wait too
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long to try them. The Spanish say: “Pimiento de PadrĂłn, pequeĂąo pero matĂłn,â€? which means “PadrĂłn peppers, a teeny weeny thug.â€? This gives you some idea of what to expect as you go chomping through a plateful and suddenly get one that makes the steam come out of your ears. Russian roulette, perhaps, but not a deterrent to savoring the charms of Spain in a delectable morsel.
My favorite way to cook padrĂłns 1/2 lb. PadrĂłn pepper, washed and dried 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Gray Malden sea salt, or other coarse salt, to taste
Heat a gas grill on high for 5 minutes. Toss the peppers with the olive oil until
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thoroughly coated then put in a perforated grill pan (a.k.a. grill wok, skillet or tray). Reduce heat to medium high, stirring the peppers occasionally until the skin is blackened in places and blistered. Pour onto a plate and sprinkle generously with the salt. Devour immediately.
Stovetop pan fried method Use the same volumes as above. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over high until it shimmers. Add peppers and toss until skin is blackened in places and blistered. Proceed as above, being sure to devour while still warm!✚ Blister Brooke at brooke.d.Jackson@gmail.com.
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