Hot and spicy but like no other chilli sauce, this delightful condiment is curiously both sweet and savoury. Amazing with meat, cheese, whatever; I’ll admit to eating it on toast for a punchy breakfast and even straight from the spoon..
I literally love the stuff.
A glut of red chillies brings a naughty smile to my face as I know what’s coming next. Here’s my quick and easy recipe for a kicking chilli jam.
Ingredients:
- 8 red chillies
- 4 Romano red peppers (deseeded)
- thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger (peeled)
- 8 garlic cloves
- 750g caster sugar
- 200ml red wine vinegar
- 400g passata or finely chopped tomatoes (you could just blend a tin of tomatoes)
Method:
- Roughly chop the chillies, peppers, ginger and garlic and then blitz in a food processor.
- Pop all of the ingredients into a heavy pan (or jam pan if you have one), stir and bring it up to the boil.
- Skim any scum that rises to the surface and then simmer for about an hour and a half, stirring frequently to stop it catching on the bottom of the pan.
- Once you’re happy with the consistency, pour into sterilised* jars.
Refrigerate after opening.
As always, recipes are only guides – if you like it hotter, pump up the chilli, garlic and ginger. I like to use a mix of chillies to create a depth of flavour and include a birdseye chilli for a nice kick.
* to sterilise jars, give them a good wash in hot soapy water and then pop them into a hot oven for 10 minutes (lids too). Alternatively, just run them through a dishwasher cycle.
