Fried Padrón peppers (Pimientos de Padrón)

1. Wash the Padrón peppers and dry them thoroughly (water would spit in the oil); leave the stems on. If you can't find them, small green sweet peppers or any other small, thin-skinned green peppers work too.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat.

3. Add the peppers in a single layer and fry for 3-4 minutes, shaking often, until blistered and browned in places.

4. Lift onto kitchen paper to drain off the excess oil.

5. Pile onto a plate and sprinkle generously with coarse salt.

6. Serve immediately, hot, eating them by the stem.

Tip: "Unos pican e outros non" – some are hot and some are not: about one in ten Padrón peppers is surprisingly fiery.