Rarely has
such mirth and laughter smothered the De Neve household.
“You’re
making what?”
“Chilli jam…
as in … jam… with chillies in it?”
“Why would
you do that?”
“Who would
eat that?”
Merriment
that turned to bemused contempt.
This recipe
is exceptional. The paprika gives it an earthy, smoky edge that matches the
sweetness and heat of the jam. Certainly great with cheese, I’d say it would be
lovely with cold meats or fish.
It isn’t a
quick job – set aside an hour or so. The finished mixture will make around six
small jars. The ones pictured are about 4 inches high.
I imagine the vinegar you use could be mixed and matched. Balsamic probably wouldn't look very nice!
ingredients:
- 100g fresh red chillies (cored and seeded)
- 100g red pepper (cored and seeded)
- 500g jam sugar
- 200ml cider vinegar
- 100ml nut vinegar (I used Vinaigre de vin aromatise noix made by Maille)
- 1tsp smoked paprika
method
- finely chop the chillies and red pepper with the paprika in a blender
- dissolve the sugar in the vinegar over a medium heat
- when the sugar has completely dissolved, add the blended chilli and pepper mixture
- bring to the boil then simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, removing the scum as you go
- test the jam setting point by plopping a teaspoon of it onto a cold plate. After a minute or so it should seem 'jammy'
- leave to cool for 10 or 15 minutes before ladling into sterilised jars (I used a little funnel)
