Chilli Jam - as hot as you dare

With a long hot summer there are always chillies in abundance and almost everyone likes chillies.

Last Friday, during my weekly tennis match I was given a bowl of fresh birds eye chillies.

They were plump and bright red, smiling with happiness - oh wait, that was me - thinking of what to create with this gorgeously gifted bunch of chillies.

Vegetables and fruit are always better when given or received with no expectations.

After dinner last Friday night I was ready to create a chilli jam concoction.

This is the perfect Chilli Jam, with well rounded flavours to accompany all cuisines.

When two of the young adults in our house came down to snack on baklava for supper that evening 

I proudly pushed my bottle of chilli jam under their noses with pride, waiting for a positive reaction. They couldn't smell anything and looked at me in confusion.

Note:
It takes a week for the flavours to meld and the aroma to blossom but the taste is immediately divine.

Here it is, the best Chilli Jam ever ....

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Chilli Jam

2 whole bulbs of garlic, unpeeled, preferably organic

1 1/2 red onions, unpeeled

1 large cup birds eye or other red chillies (300g) 

1 cup vegetable oil  (250ml)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 200C and lightly squash the garlic bulbs with the flat of your knife to break them apart a little but not separate them.  Wrap the garlic bulbs in foil.  Also wrap the unpeeled red onions in another piece of foil.  Place fresh chillies in an oven proof dish.

Place all in the oven, the garlic and onions on top shelf with the open bowl of chillies on the second shelf for 20 minutes in total.  Roast for 10 minutes, turning over the chillies.  Check after another 5 minutes and toss chillies again.  After another 5 minutes they can all be removed.  You want the chillies to be slightly browned but not burnt.    Leave to cool before opening the foil packages.

Remove stems from the chillies but leave seeds intact.

Place chillies, onions and garlic into a food processor and puree until roughly blended.  Stir through the sugars and salt.

Heat vegetable oil in a large non stick saucepan over medium heat.  Pour in chilli paste and stir continually for 5 minutes until it is all blended and the sugar is dissolved.

Pour into a hot 400ml sterilised jar, topping up with all of the vegetable oil so it forms a barrier on top of the chilli paste to preserve the gorgeous jam.

Let cool and store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.

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Buon appetito, enjoy Merryn xx