Chili peppers heat up the kitchen this winter
A versatile ingredient that’s sure to heat up any recipe this winter; the chili pepper is a great way for eager chef to experiment in spicing up their cooking. The limits of the chili pepper are seemingly endless, but don’t let that intimidate you. Get started with these tips for using the chili.
Turning Down the Heat
When cooking with any spicy pepper, people might imagine a painful stinging tongue, a red face, and sweating. Cooking with chilis, however, is more about using the heat as an addition to the flavour. We are experimenting with chilis not pain! The high source of the heat from chilis comes from their seeds. Keep this in mind when attempting to cook with them.
To lessen the strength of the heat when using chilis in a recipe, scrape the seeds out and simply use the pepper’s flesh. Using some of the seeds, or none, will add a small amount of spice that will enhance the flavour. Doing this will take the focus off of the heat, allowing the pepper’s taste to be the star in whichever recipe you use!
Hung and Roasted
Another great way to use the chili’s flavour is to roast the peppers. Roasting them over flame and leaving them to sit, removing the seeds afterwards, can boost the flavour, delivering a smoky taste will enhance your recipe.
You can also leave them hanging. Hanging the chili peppers to dry allows you to store them for a longer period of time. Drying the peppers drains them of moisture and concentrates the heat and flavour, which allows them to be used in even more creative ways. For instance, dried chili peppers can be made into a powder, toasted for additional flavour, they can be added to sauces or soups, or crushed up to make flakes!
Experimentation and creativity are key when learning to cook with chilis, don’t be afraid of them. They can complement any savoury meal and even be added to sweet things like chocolate or hot chocolate to add some more warmth to your winter.
Overall, the chili is an underestimated ingredient with a great many uses that is sure to heat your home and taste buds this winter!