Banchan are some of the most delicious elements of Korean cooking and dining and these blistered shishito peppers are a perfect example of why. They are a delicious, savory, and addictive Umami bomb. This recipe is adapted from the awesome and inspirational Koreatown cookbook by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard. It only takes about 20 minutes and here’s how to do it.
Shishito Peppers
Shishito Peppers are small-sweet peppers (although you will find a spicy one every so often) with thin walls that are perfect for blistering in a hot pan. They are almost bite-sized which makes them fun to eat. For this recipe you could substitute Padron Peppers or any other small, sweet pepper you can get your hands on.
Dried Anchovies
So much flavor!
You definitely want to have a box of these dried anchovies in your pantry/freezer, especially if you want to add a quick little Umami punch to whatever you happen to be working on in the kitchen. They are great for making a versatile broth (we like it for steamed dumplings) while they also work really well as a sautéed item in dishes such as these blistered Shishito peppers.
A Quick, Light, Delicious Sauce
Garlic, soy sauce, gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), mirin, honey - all of these ingredients are bound to lead to deliciousness. All you have to do for this recipe is whisk them together and add them to the blistered peppers right at the end, reduce a little and you have a beautiful glaze.
A Hot Pan To Blister The Peppers
Blister the peppers in a hot pan until they are soft but not mushy
A cast iron pan is ideal but any saute pan will do. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the peppers until just before it smokes. Leave them alone and let them get color and blister on one side before flipping. It takes about 5 minutes before they are perfectly blistered and tender.
Here are a couple of Amazon Affiliate links if you would like to track down some of the Korean ingredients without having to go hunting at the store.
Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
-Jimmy
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Gochugaru korean red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any other cooking oil
- 1/2 lb shishito peppers, stems removed
- 1/2 cup dried anchovies
- sesame seeds for garnish
- 1/4 cup water
Ingredients
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- In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, gochugaru, soy sauce, mirin, honey, and the garlic to make the sauce.
- Place a large cast iron pan (or other large skillet) over high heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is lightly smoking, swirl the oil gently and add the peppers and let them sear until blistered and slightly charred, turning each a few times. This should take about 5 minutes. Add the anchovies and the sauce and cook for about 30 seconds. Turn of the heat and add the water. Stir as the sauce bubbles and slightly reduces. Garnish with sesame seeds. Let cool and serve at room temperature. This will keep in your refrigerator for up to a week.
Ginger Boden says
The instructions indicate at the end to “turn off the heat and add the water”. Water is not listed in the ingredients list, so how much?
Jimmy says
Thanks for spotting that Ginger. We have adjusted the recipe to say 1/4 cup of water.
Heather says
What do you do with the other half of the garlic that doesn’t go in the sauce?
Jimmy says
Thanks for pointing that out Heather. We actually don’t need that extra garlic - I have changed the recipe to now say 2 cloves instead of 4.