Give me all the shishitos, especially when simply blistered and tossed with some salt. These little green peppers are SO addictive. And I like the whole Russian roulette thing they have going on – only 1 in 10 turns out to be spicy. Mike and I like to face off and eat them, with a straight face, taking turns. The one that ends up eating the spicy one is both the winner (because spicy!) and the loser (because, well, that’s how Russian roulette works).
This time around, we must’ve eaten about 15 or 16 before we got to a spicy one. It was funny though because we were laughing about the whole thing, thinking that we got a bunk batch with only mild peppers when all of a sudden I was like, oh wait – the 1 in 10 hot shishito really does exist! My mouth was on fire for the remaining peppers, but I didn’t mind because I’m all about the spice.
These peppers were perfect with a tangle of ice water shocked soba seasoned with soy, garlic, dashi and a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi. The whole thing came together quickly, which is perfect for summer. To me, nothing beats a heaping dish of cold noodles in the late evening heat. Especially if there’s a side of blistered shishitos to go with. Spicy bliss.
Have a spicy one!
xoxo steph