I can never resist ordering shishitos when they’re on the menu. Small and bright green, biting into one is a thrill each time—though they’re mostly mild, one in ten of these wrinkly green peppers is very spicy. And that’s more than fine by me. I love a little heat, so I make sure to get my fill of these when they’re at their peak during the summertime.
My favorite way to prepare shishitos at home is to sear them. Just a few minutes in a searing hot pan is enough to blister them and impart smoky, charred flavor. For serving, I like an easy, lemony base of labneh. It’s a creamy, refreshing dip to swipe these shishitos through. Top it with plenty of flaky salt and sumac before eating fresh.
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups labneh
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp good quality olive oil
- 2 cups shishito peppers, rinsed and dried
- Zest of one lemon
- Flaky salt and sumac, for sprinkling
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix the labneh with half of the lemon juice and the sea salt. Refrigerate until needed.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shishito peppers to the pan and sauté, tossing occasionally, until blistered and charred, 5-6 minutes. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice into the pan and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss to combine and remove from the heat.
- Dollop and swirl the labneh onto a large serving plate. Top with the blistered shishitos and drizzle with more olive oil.
- Sprinkle with sumac, lemon zest and more flaky salt. Serve immediately.
