Recipe: Bill Kim’s grilled shishito peppers with Korean pesto

"Brent, Beth, Ellie and Ava Eccles from Green Acres Farm in Indiana are friends of mine and part of our restaurant family. They grow the best shishito peppers in the country, hands down. All year I look forward to these peppers coming into season and showing up at the Chicago Green City Market. Most shishito peppers are very mild, but you have to always be on alert: one out of every 10 is surprisingly spicy. For some reason, I always get the spicy one." —Bill Kim, Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill In Seven Sauces

Ingredients:

2 pounds shishito peppers
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon curry salt (below)
1 1/2 cup Korean pesto (below)

Instructions:

1. Heat the grill for direct heat cooking to medium (350–375 degrees).
2. Place the peppers in a large bowl, drizzle with the oil, and toss the peppers to coat evenly. Season the peppers with the curry salt and toss again.
3. Place the peppers on the grill, close the lid, and cook, turning once, for about three minutes on each side, until blistered and blackened in spots. Serve the peppers immediately with the pesto as a dipping sauce.

Curry salt

1/4 cup Madras curry powder
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon shichimi togarashi

Combine the curry powder, salt and shichimi togarashi in a small bowl and stir to mix. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard for up to six months.

Korean pesto

1/4 cup Nuoc Cham Sauce (below)
1/4 cup Lemongrass Chili Sauce (below)
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/4 cup kimchi
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
1/4 cup olive oil

Place Nuoc Cham Sauce, chili sauce, chipotle chili and adobo sauce, kimchi, peanuts, basil and oil in a food processor and process for about one minute, until coarsely blended. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to two months.

Nuoc Cham Sauce

1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green Thai chilies, minced, with seeds

Combine the brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, water, garlic and chilies in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to two months.

Lemongrass Chili Sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced, peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup minced lemongrass
1 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sambal oelek
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Combine the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chili sauce, fish sauce, sambal oelek and oil in a bowl and whisk until blended. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to two months.