Korean Grilled Shishito with Doenjang

Trim only the untidy ends from 200 g shishito peppers, without cutting deeply into the stems.

Rinse them, dry thoroughly so the pan stays dry, then prick each pepper once or twice with a fork.

In a small bowl, combine 1.5 tablespoons doenjang, 0.5 tablespoon gochujang, 1 tablespoon oligosaccharide syrup, and 0.5 tablespoon minced garlic. Mash and stir until no thick lumps remain, so the sauce coats quickly later.

Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, then add the peppers with no oil.

Roll them often for about 3 minutes, until the skins wrinkle and small brown spots appear.

Lower the heat to medium and add all the prepared sauce at once.

Toss quickly for only 2 minutes, coating the pepper surfaces; if the paste begins to scorch, reduce the heat further immediately.

When the sauce clings thinly to the pan bottom and the doenjang aroma rises, turn off the heat right away.

Drizzle in 1 teaspoon sesame oil and use the residual heat to give the peppers a glossy coating.

Transfer the peppers to a plate and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.

Serve while the peppers still hold their shape and are not mushy; as they cool, the seasoning becomes thicker and more concentrated.