2018 Christmas Chilli

JUST THE BASICS

For the benefit of family members desperate to DIY my little jars of chilli, here it is; a simple, step by step 'how to' guide.

I started making this with my dad as a teenager in relatively small quantities. We would add loads of dried spices however over the years I have puritanically stripped it right back to just a small number of ingredients and it has become an addictive and versatile condiment. The look of joy when I pass a jar or two on to our (now grown up) kids makes it so worthwhile. So, for those who have the obsessive patience, this is a log of the batch made a month or so ago.

Fresh is best. We have a twice weekly market nearby in Witney, so when I need them, I go on a Thursday and order them for the Saturday. The fruit and veg traders make a early daily visit to the wholesalers at New Covent Garden in London. My instructions are simple. All I want is fresh. Straight off the plane, none of those boxes that may have been sitting around. Only fresh.

This box came from Bangladesh, and apparently (although they are unlikely to admit it), they are the preference of Indian restaurants around the country. Firm, verdant and intense.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 box of fresh chillies (2.4 kg untrimmed weight)
- 400g garlic, (unpeeled weight)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 heaped tablespoon of salt
- approx 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil to finish

EQUIPMENT:

- Disposable latex gloves
- Food processor
- Large pot
- Jars with lids

METHOD:

Now the fun begins...

1. Don those essential gloves

2. Wash the chillies in a colander in batches

3. Trim the stalks off each chilli with a knife or scissors.

(Over the years I have honed the efficiency of this step down to a fine art: Three at a time with a knife. This batch of 660 chillies took me a robotic and therapeutic 30 minutes)

4. Peel and finely chop the garlic in the food processor and put in the pot

5. Chop the washed trimmed chillies in the food processor and put in the pot.

6. Add the oil, vinegar and salt, and mix thoroughly

By now it should look like this. Notice that I'm doing the cooking bit outside. The kitchen was barely habitable just from the processing of the raw ingredients. Had I added heat, we'd have had to move out.

7. Heat the chillies until just 'sweated'. They need to be hot and steaming but not fully cooked or soft.

8. Place the jars in a shallow bath of boiling water, spoon the hot chilli into the jars, add olive oil to cover the chilli, and when properly hot, remove the jars from the water bath and seal them.

(They will be very hot, so I use 2 or 3 tea towels to handle them with)

As the jars cool the lids should pop down if sealed properly. In the jars they will last for years. Once opened, add more olive oil to keep them moist and keep them in the fridge.

Here's the deal: You make them, you send me a jar or two.