Blistered Peppers

It doesn’t get much easier or much more tasty than this.

If you can find padrón peppers, use those; otherwise, shishito peppers work fine (pictured). This dish doubles as entertainment because, as anyone who’s enjoyed it knows, there’s always a surprise hottie among the peppers, usually sending the recipient into a mirth-inducing dance—and a scramble for a Whispering Angel to put out the devilish fire.

Ingredients

• 3 cups padrón or shishito peppers

• 3 tbps olive oil

• Juice of a lemon

Method

Add olive oil to a 10-inch Field Co. cast iron skillet and heat over high until a drop of water sizzles. Add peppers, cook until blistered, add fresh lemon juice, remove from heat, sprinkle with salt and serve Tapas—small savory dishes of Spanish origin—are fantastic for entertaining, allowing guests to enjoy small bites with glasses of wine without making the host commit to creating a full dinner service. In looking for the perfect way to prepare a tapas spread, we realized a high-end grill, such as those from Memphis Grills, and top-quality Field Company cast iron pans, allowed us to grill, sear, bake and serve all while keeping the party going. Here, we look at how Old World flavors and New World tools combine to create a perfectly balanced party worthy of a majors season. In any language, we call it a win.