Having got a little overexcited when buying a packet of Ancho chilli powder for a dish at our annual Canapémas party we hold prior to Christmas. I now find myself with a rather large box of dried chilli’s and chilli powders which I am told is a years supply. There is nothing else for it but to find and cook as many Chilli related recipes over the 2014 as I can gather. Whether on the web, through word of mouth or perhaps even a little adventure or too to some of the hotter climates and getting into some local expert action.

Some key research prior to kicking off was to work out how to prepare dried chillis for use. Here is what I found out:

STEP01: Slice open you chillis and remove all seeds. This is done in both Mexican and Thai Chilli preparation not to reduce the head but once the chilli’s have been dried the Chilli seeds once reconstituted will add a bitter taste to you dish!

STEP02: Temper your Chilli’s. Split each chilli open and put in a pan and heat on both sides until a nice aroma starts to diffuse from the Chilli. This reactivates the Chilli and brings the oils to the surface. Then soak for minimum 10 minutes.  Of course 3 hours is also fine as they will soften beautifully but 10 minutes will suffice!

 

Let the Adventure begin!