Shishito peppers are light green, thin-walled, small, and sweet. In Korea, we use them whole. Coating them with flour before steaming them gives them a nice chewy texture. The little bit of dried anchovy broth used to finish cooking the peppers makes them so tasty. Served with rice and soup, they can be a complete meal. Leftovers are popular in lunch boxes, and my American friends like them as a snack with cocktails or cold beer.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces shishito peppers (kkwari-gochu), stemmed
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup thinly sliced onion
• 5 large dried anchovies (mareun-myeolchi), heads and guts removed
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse and drain the peppers. Put them in a bowl and toss with the flour.
2. Bring a cup or so of water to a boil in a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add the peppers, cover, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and uncover.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil, garlic, onion, and anchovies and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the water, soy sauce, and hot pepper flakes, turn the heat down to low, and simmer, stirring, until the broth becomes delicious from the anchovies, a few minutes.
4. Add the peppers, mix well, and stir with a wooden spoon until they are shiny and tender, about 2 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Transfer the peppers to a serving plate, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve.