A plate just for me. Fried padrons dressed with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinking of salt.
All picked thumb-sized. For the record – none of them were hot. I’m starting to think Garden Glut’s theory about Spanish chefs being able to pick the hot ones and throw a couple in each plateful to ensure the ‘1 in 10’ legend continues may well be correct. (If none of what I’ve just written makes any sense at all check out the post and comments here.)
Joining Veggiegobbler for ANZAC Day garden gobbles.
I’ve never had padrons. And I’m not a fan of green peppers… But the idea of a little salty fried not hot chilli sounds good.
I think their fab and I don’t like green capsicum either – these are different – far sweeter and just much nicer generally.
These look (and sound) absolutely perfect!
Oh yum, oh yum, oh yum. I sure do miss Padrons. My plants don’t even have any true leaves yet. 🙁 I’ll just have to imagine how good those are.
Those aren’t any old green peppers Veggiegobbler, I hate green bell peppers (is that what you call capsicums in your neck of the world?), but I love Padrons. Actually, I like a lot of green peppers, just not bell peppers. I wonder what it is that makes bell peppers so awful unless they are ripe?
Which other peppers are good green?
Funny, I had my first plate of padron last night. It has taken a whole summer and half of autumn to produce a tiny plateful of about 10. I had all but one to myself! Early in the summer it was punnishingly hot and while the plants survived, they did not produce. Now in the cooler weather they are finally yielding – but when will they get frost bite? Very soon I think. So based on the evidence of one small plate of 10 padron I can say that I had about 3 very hot ones and they were the ones that were slightly longer. All the little stubby ones were mild…but that’s one plate of 10. Provided the planbt does not die over night from frostbite, I am going to aim to pick early.
And I drizzled mine with a lemon infused olive oil and dashed them with salt. I liked the lemon addition.
Hopefully I will get one last crop this season and then I will definitely try them with lemon.
They do seem to have a point when they just suddenly put on the heat. Maybe one day I will be able to recongise it and use that knowledge when cooking for my brothers, he, he, he….
Were you happy or disappointed by their lack of heat?
Definitely happy – the first plateful I made was far too hot.
Yum. They look delicious!
I love these Russian Roulette peppers, the fact that you’re never sure which one is hot, hot, hot. They bring back memories of lovely sunny holidays in Spain. I grew them once or twice in my upright coldframe but I don’t think our hilly Cotswold climes produce quite the same harvest as you have! Yours look perfect – olive oil and sea salt is definitely all they need.
They have done well and I think they would have been even better had I potted them up into larger pots. I will see how/if they overwinter and put them in bigger pots in Spring if they get through. I have really enjoyed my experience with them I have to say.
Padrons!? Look like jalapeno pepper to me. Are they related?
I’m fairly sure they are both Capsicum annuum so yes they are related. Jalapenos are a darker green generally and the pardons aren’t nearly as conical in shape they are more wrinkly (for want of a better word).
Delicious looking batch of padron peppers! The last bagful we bought at the local farmers’ market were really too hot to eat, but so addictive we suffered through them. We’re growing the Japanese variety, Shishito, this year — they’re suppose to be sweeter and less unpredictable though I think growing your own padrons helps in that you can control when they’re picked…
The first lot I harvested were like that. I took them to my parents place and we bbq’d them and nibbled them with dinner. We ate most of them but not necessarily something I want to repeat.
Ooo I love padron peppers. I started growing them last year and have already got 12 seedlings on the go for this season. What is the theory behind the ‘1 in 1o’? Genetics? I’ve definitely had the occasional hot one at tapas bars but all mine last year were mild.
Based on very limited personal experience and everyone’s comments I reckon its all about age of the fruit. The fruit do seem to develop heat with age going quite quickly from very mild to very hot. But perhaps it is something else entirely….