Babz' Blistered Shishitos

One of my favorite techniques to prepare shishitos is to blister them in a hot skillet or on the grill. It’s a simple way to enjoy them, and one you’ll find on trendy restaurant menus. My friend, the chef Babz Nartowicz Goldman of Babz’ Bistro/Food Truck in Maysville, KY, has the recipe down to a science. I’m sharing her recipe, adapted slightly. Babz serves the peppers with a lemon slice and sriracha aioli, which pairs well with the mild flavor of the shishitos.
serves 2–4

For the peppers
8 oz. shishito peppers
1 Tbsp. neutral oil (like grapeseed or canola)
Flaky salt, such as Malden

In a large bowl, toss all of the peppers with oil until well coated. Pour a little oil into a large cast-iron skillet. Heat oil over high heat until it is just starting to smoke. Add the peppers in single layers without touching, and cook until blistered in multiple spots, flipping them as needed. This takes about 4 minutes. The peppers will puff up and become tender. If you want a more blistered look, cook them a little longer. Season with salt and serve immediately with lemon wedges and/or sriracha aioli.

For the sriracha aioli
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. sriracha or more to taste
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt to taste

Whisk everything together. Can be refrigerated, covered, for a day or two.

I usually just fill a hot iron skillet with olive oil and then toss the peppers in, allowing them to blister on one side before turning them over. For grilling, I’ll brush the peppers with a bit of olive oil and blister them on a hot grill.