This is not the first time I've talked about Chilli Jam here. But you see it is the stuff of magic making in your mouth. So good that I have contemplated eating it from the jar the way some of you eat nutella. This chilli jam is what started the friendship I talked about in my post on Whip Up.
After a discussion about 20kgs of tomatoes and a school fete on twitter I'm offering the recipe up for one and all. This is the chilli jam my Dad makes (always with an assortment of homegrown chillis). He has many bastardised versions he makes, but this is the recipe that started it all.
Chilli Jam
- 2 kg ripe tomatoes
- 150ml olive oil
- chillis - depends on how hot you like it really. I use 4-5 habenero or 10 medium - long red chillis. You can also deseed some of the chillis if you want. It's really up to you
- 20 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 50g piece of fressh ginger peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp cummin
- 2 tbsp brown mustard seeds (I often leave these out if they're not in the pantry)
- 1 tbsp tumeric
- 50ml fish sauce
- 200 ml red wine vinnegar
- 200g brown sugar
Optional: 2 red capsicums )or more if you want)
- Put the tomaotes (and capsicums if you're using them) on a baking tray and drizzle with some extra olive oil. Roast in a moderate to hot oven for 20 minutes until the skins start to blister and split.
- While the tomatoes are in the oven, in a food processor combine the chilli, garlic, ginger, cumin, mustard seeds, tumeric, fish sauce, red wine vinegar, brown sugar and olive oil.
- When the tomatoes are ready use tongs to peel the skins off (you should be able to grab the skin and most of it will come away). Or put in a plastic bag and the tomatoes will sweat a little making it easier to remove the skins. Same with the capsicum. Watch out for your fingers in this step the tomatoes are hot.
- Put the tomatoes (and capsicums) and combined chilli mix into a heavy based saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to the boil then reduce to a very low simmer and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring frequently to make sure the jam doesn't catch.
- While the jam is boiling sterlise your jars.
-When the chilli jam is ready, ladle the hot jam into a pouring jug and use this to pour the jam into hot sterlised jars (always hot jam into hot jars). Put the lids on.
- Allow to cool.
This jam is great on sandwhiches, seriously good under melted cheese on toast and amazing with corn fritters. Also try it with really nice fresh bread and cream cheese. A jar doesn't last long in our house.
