Mild shishito peppers, flash stir fried with fall spices, garlic and ginger. It's such a tasty and unexpected side. Goes great with grilled or roasted meats or fish, rice, and a fresh vegetable or fruit (cucumbers, melons etc).
Course Side Dish
Ingredients
For the Spice Powder
2cinnamon sticks
4whole star anise
2tspwhole cloves
2tspwhite peppercorns
2tspallspice berries
The rest
1lbshishito peppersany color
2tbspfresh garlicfinely chopped
1tbspfresh gingerfinely chopped
to tastesalt
1tbsphoney
2tbspavocado oil
Instructions
Make the 5 spice powder
In a pan over medium heat, toast all the spices until fragrant. Add to a spice/coffee grinder, and grind into a fine powder. Place in an airtight container to store (you will not use all of it for this recipe).
Alternatively, you can just use oriental 5 spice powder. It achieves a similar result (not as good imo, but similar).
Cook the peppers
Heat a wok or large frying pan on high heat. When a couple droplets added to the pan start to dance instead of sizzle, that's when it's hot enough.
Add the avocado oil, immediately followed by the garlic and ginger. Stir once, then add the peppers and toss to coat. Add a couple pinches of salt, and toss again.
After a minute or two, add 1 1/2 tbsp of the spice powder and toss to coat evenly. Allow the peppers to sit and blister, then toss and allow them to sit again. Do this until you achieve good blistering on several pieces. Add the honey, toss to coat and remove to a serving bowl or platter.
With the proper timing, the garlic will be fried and crispy, but not taste burnt. For more blistered peppers, add the peppers first, cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and seasoning after blistering first starts.
Serve warm and whole. Don't eat the stems - just bite off the fleshy parts and have a bowl to discard the uneaten stems. Enjoy!