Cheeky Chilli Chutney

If you LOVE hot, spicy food or you know someone who does - then this blog post is for you!


Every year we grow our own chilli plants from seed. So we've been busy potting, nurturing and encouraging our seeds and seedlings to grow tall and strong this year!


They are rather high maintenance little things, in that they sulk and then rather dramatically refuse to give you what you want if you forget to give them their daily lovin'. Like many women I know. Quite right.


But if you have the patience, wow do they grow and reward you with masses of beautiful tasty chillies. So much better than any shop bought variety. Really.


Once we are ready to harvest our first crop of bright red chillies (which Richard does with a, it has to be said, rather smug smile) we start making the first batch of wonderful cheeky chilli chutney.


We've been making this delicious treat for years and it always goes down so well with family and friends.


Here's the recipe below just in case you feel the need for more heat in your life.

cheeky chilli-pepper chutney

ingredients

• 8-10 fresh red chillies
• 8 ripe red peppers
• olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
a sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• a 5cm piece of cinnamon stick
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g brown sugar
150ml balsamic vinegar


snacks and sides | serves makes about 500g
This is a great chutney. The sweetness created in the cooking of the peppers calms the heat of the chillies down, giving the chutney a lovely warmth. It’s fantastic with crumbly cheese, smeared on toast with melted cheese or with Welsh rarebit (see page 322). Also lovely stirred into gravy with sausages, or with cold leftover meats. Crack on and have a go.

PS You might want to wear a pair of Marigolds when peeling and chopping the chillies or you’ll know about it if you rub your eyes afterwards!

If you want your chutney to last for a while, make sure you have some small sterilized jars ready to go (see page 324). Place your chillies and peppers over a hot barbecue, in a griddle pan or on a tray under a hot grill, turning them now and then until blackened and blistered all over. Carefully lift the hot peppers and chillies into a bowl (the smaller chillies won’t take as long as the peppers so remove them first) and cover tightly with clingfilm. As they cool down, they’ll cook gently in their own steam. By the time they’re cool enough to handle, you’ll be able to peel the skin off easily.

When you’ve got rid of most of the skin, trimmed off the stalks and scooped out the seeds, you’ll be left with a pile of nice tasty peppers and chillies. Finely chop by hand or put in a food processor and whiz up. Then put to one side.

Heat a saucepan and pour in a splash of olive oil. Add the onions, rosemary, bay leaves and cinnamon and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook very slowly for about 20 minutes or so, until the onions become rich, golden and sticky.

Add the chopped peppers and chillies, the sugar and the vinegar to the onions and keep cooking. When the liquid reduces and you’re left with a lovely thick sticky chutney, season well to taste. Remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves. Either spoon into the sterilized jars and put them in a cool dark place, or keep in the fridge and use right away. In sterilized jars, the chutney should keep for a couple of months.

(images and text copyright Jamie Oliver)

If I've inspired you so much, that you want to start your own organic veg patch as soon as possible, then wander on over to Suttons seeds and make things easy for yourself.


For more fab recipes from Sir Jamie Oliver, take a look here