chili pepper

Harissa is a punchy North African chili paste. This version is made with an assortment of fresh chilies that are charred and blended together for smoke and spice. It's simply seasoned with the traditional additions of caraway and coriander, but feel free to jazz it up with anything from diced preserved lemon to pungent raw shallots.

Fresh Chili Harissa Recipe

red bell peppers (540 grams) (see note)

poblano pepper (100 grams)

Fresno chili peppers (160 grams)

serrano chilies (30 grams)

(10 grams) neutral oil,

(4 grams) coriander

(3 grams) ground caraway

(45 grams) lemon

(25 grams) extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set the bell, poblano, fresno, and serrano peppers on it. Rub the peppers with the oil. Place under the broiler and cook the peppers, rotating as needed, until evenly charred all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer the charred peppers to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. 

Meanwhile, in a dry sauté pan, toast the coriander and caraway over medium heat until fragrant. Set aside. 

Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove their skins, seeds, and stems with gloved hands. Place the cleaned peppers in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Transfer the pepper paste to a bowl. Finish the harissa by mixing in the toasted coriander and caraway, salt, lemon, and olive oil. The harissa is best the next day and keeps in the refrigerator for a week.

In a 2010 love letter to the food processor, Mark Bittman gave the machine the ultimate compliment: “I upgraded its position in my kitchen from a cabinet to a spot on my itsy-bitsy counter,” he wrote. Here, he uses the machine to chop and grate vegetables, cutting down on prep time (and any possibility of shredding your knuckles on a box grater). The end result is a quick side dish, full of flavor from the ginger and soy sauce.

Stir-Fried Sweet Potatoes

scallions,

garlic

ginger (1-inch long), peeled

hot chili (like jalapeño

sweet potatoes,

peanut oil

Salt

black pepper

soy sauce, more for serving

Put scallions in food processor and pulse until finely chopped; remove. Add garlic, ginger and chili to the processor and pulse until minced; remove. Fit the processor with grating blade and grate sweet potatoes.

Put oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add garlic-ginger-chili mixture and fry for 30 seconds. Add half the scallions and all the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring or tossing, until the potatoes are lightly browned, about 10 minutes; the potatoes need not be fully tender.

Add soy sauce, toss once, and transfer potatoes to serving platter. Garnish with remaining scallions and serve immediately with additional soy sauce, if desired.

How to make oven baked jerk chicken with a Jamaican jerk marinade made with scotch bonnet peppers, onions, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, ginger and more! Moist, tender and delicious!

Oven Baked Jerk Chicken

chicken

jerk marinade

Cut up the chicken into 6 pieces (2 legs/thighs, 2 breasts, 2 wings)

Place in a large bowl and cover in jerk marinade. Turn the chicken around to make sure that all the pieces are coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in th fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375F and place chicken pieces on a baking sheet.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165F

This is another creamy corn dish that has no cream in it – in fact, it has no dairy at all. I simmer the corn cobs to make the stock. When the corn is sweet, so is the soup, and I love the contrast of the sweet, creamy potage against the spicy roasted peppers.

Creamy Corn and Poblano Soup

corn (5 cups kernels)

water

extra virgin olive oil

white onion, chopped

garlic cloves,

poblano chilies

cilantro chives (optional)

Take the corn off the cobs. You should have about 5 cups kernels. Set aside 1 cup of the kernels.

Place the corn cobs in a large soup pot and add the water. Make sure they are covered or at least floating in the water; you can break them in half if they are very large. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, partly cover and simmer 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Remove and discard the cobs. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Strain the broth and measure out 5 cups. Freeze any leftover broth.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then add the 4 cups of corn kernels and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the corn is just tender. Add the corn broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile roast the chilies, either directly over a gas flame or under a broiler, turning often until they are uniformly charred. Transfer to a plastic bag and seal, or transfer to a bowl and cover tightly. Allow the peppers to cool, then remove the charred skin, rinse and past dry. Remove the seeds and veins (I recommend that you wear plastic gloves for this) and cut in thin strips or dice. 

Steam the kernels set aside for the garnish for 5 minutes, until tender. Set aside.

Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender, taking care to remove the insert from the top and cover tightly with a kitchen towel to avoid splashes. Return to the heat, taste and adjust salt, and heat through.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Combine the steamed corn kernels and diced chilies and place a spoonful in the middle of each bowl of soup. Garnish with a sprinkling of cilantro or chives if desired, and serve.

A bright toss of cilantro leaves and scallions, this dish, called lao hu cai, is somewhere between a salad and a garnish, adding coolness, salt and juice to the mix.

Tiger Vegetable Salad

cilantro,

green bell pepper

chili pepper, stemmed, seeded and slivered

scallions, slivered

vegetable oil

salt

Sesame oil

white vinegar,

In a bowl, combine cilantro, green pepper, chili pepper and scallions. Add vegetable oil and salt; toss lightly. Add a few drops of sesame oil, vinegar and more salt to taste; toss again. Pile on a plate and serve immediately; salad wilts quickly.

An easy way to perserve the flavour of fresh of chii peppers all winter long. A versatile seasoning.

Chili Pepper Salt

chilies

Add chilies to small bowl of food processor and pulse several times until very finely minced. You don't want a paste, so I wouldn't use a blender for this. Add the salt. Pulse several more times so that everything is  a pretty orange-pinky-red colour. Store in an airtight container. You can use this right away, but storing for a week or so will distribute the flavour of the chillies more quickly.

Radish salad is something you see in places around the world (in the last couple of years, I have been served it in similar guises in both Mexico and Turkey), but almost never in this country. Salting the radishes first reduces their harshness while accenting their crispness. At that point, they can be dressed with a traditional vinaigrette or the more tropical (and oil-less) version here. The only trick is to slice the radishes thinly. For this, a mandoline is best.

Radish Salad

radishes,

lime juice

orange juice

mint

Combine radishes with salt, and cover with water in a bowl. Let sit 15 minutes. Drain, and rinse. Meanwhile, stir together the pepper and fruit juices.

Toss radishes with dressing and chilies. Taste. Add more salt, pepper or lime juice as needed. Garnish with herb, and serve.

Sweet shrimp are the perfect canvas for this spicy jerk seasoning made with fresh chiles, fragrant thyme, scallions, garlic and spices. After a quick 15-minute marinade, the shrimp cook in mere minutes, picking up great char and smoky flavor from the grill. (You can even mimic the results indoors by broiling the shrimp on a sheet pan 6 inches from the heat for about 4 minutes.) This recipe comes with a warning: This is a superhot rub. For less heat but still spicy results, use just one chile; for an even milder version, remove the seeds from the chile before blending it. Should you have any jerk shrimp leftovers, they are great tossed into salad or tucked into tacos the next day.

Grilled Jerk Shrimp

neutral oil,

Scotch bonnet

thyme leaves

lime

soy sauce

brown sugar

allspice

kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

shrimp

Heat grill to medium-high and grease the grates with oil.

In a food processor, combine the 2 chopped scallions with the chiles and garlic, and pulse until finely chopped. Add the thyme, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, allspice, salt, pepper and the 3 tablespoons of oil; pulse until a coarse paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the shrimp and toss until evenly coated. Let stand for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally. 

Working in batches, grill shrimp directly on the grill grates until nicely charred and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with the sliced scallions and serve with lime wedges.

These Hot Honey Brussels Sprouts take this vegetable from good to amazing with only a few ingredients. 

Hot Honey Brussels Sprouts

lbs Brussels sprouts, stems removed and cut in half

olive oil

hot honey,

salt and pepper

feta cheese

chives

Preheat oven to 425˚F. In large bowl toss together Brussels sprouts with olive oil and hot honey. Spread on lined baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping sprouts once during baking. Sprouts should be browned around edges. Add feta and chives to pan and stir.

Transfer to serving dish and drizzle with some extra honey if desired. Serve immediately.

A delicious Sichuan chili oil recipe taught to me by Sichuan Chef Liu when I lived in Chengdu Sichuan, China. This is my all-time favorite condiment and spicy chili oil -- and it couldn't be easier to make. 

Chef Liu's Sichuan Chili Oil (Xiangla Hongyou 香辣红油) 

caiziyou oil

sesame seeds (16 grams)

knob of fresh ginger (1 ounce), sliced (30 grams)

bay leaf

scallions, roughly chopped (40 grams)

shallot, sliced (15 grams) (sub white or yellow onion)

Chinese black cardamom berry (tsao ko OR cao guo)

Chinese small white cardamom berries (Bai Dou Kou)

star anise (bajiao) (1.5 grams)

Chinese cinnamon (cassia bark) (2 grams)

red Sichuan flower peppers (huajiao) (3 grams) (or up to 1 tablespoon

white peppercorns

shannai/shajiang (dried sand ginger)

Toast the sesame seeds. Add sesame seeds to a skillet and toast them until golden brown over medium heat. Remove them to a large stainless steel and set aside. 

Wash the chili peppers &amp; toast them. Skip to step #4 if using sichuan chili powder or sichuan chili flakes instead of whole dried chilis. Wash the chili peppers in a bowl of water to remove any residue, strain them, and add them to a wok (or large sauté pan) set over medium heat. Dry fry the chilis moving them around constantly to remove the water and toast them until fragrant and slightly colored on the outside (about 6 to 7 minutes). Remove them to the bowl of a food processor. *Alternatively, you can crush the chilis using a mortar and pestle. 

Crush the chilis. Pulse the chilis to chop them until they are just about the size of crushed red chili flakes. Add them to the stainless steel bowl with sesame seeds and stir to combine. *Alternatively, you may add the sesame seeds at the end (I've done both with no discernable difference in flavor).

Heat the caiziyou oil 455°F/235°C. Skip this step if using peanut or other high smoke point oil. Using a thermometer, heat the roasted rapeseed oil just until smoking to remove the raw flavor and immediately turn off the heat. The temperature should not exceed 464°F/220°C. 

Infuse the oil with aromatics. When the oil has cooled by about a 1/3 (to 305°F/152°C), add all of the aromatics to the oil and cook over medium-low heat until the scallions turn golden brown (about 40 minutes). Keep an eye on the oil temperature to maintain a bubbling sizzle throughout. The oil should not be so hot that it splatters or smokes heavily. For an even tastier oil, you can continue cooking it for up to 1 hour if you have time). Strain the aromatics from the oil and reserve them for making a homemade Sichuan broth or discard. 

Add the oil to the chilis &amp; sesame seeds. Heat the oil back up to 365°F/185°C and add 1/3 of the oil to the chili mixture and stir to combine (it will be bubbling vigorously). Next, add another 1/3 of the oil and stir to combine. Add the last of the oil to the chili mixture and stir to combine. Allow the chili oil to cool slightly and add it to a heatproof glass jar, seal, and allow it to infuse for 24 hours before using (if you can wait that long), Enjoy!

This is exactly like what I remember eating when we visited Chengdu! We love the mala effect, so I ended up adding more sichuan peppercorns and it was fantastic! Sichuan food is one of our favorite cuisines😍. Do you have a good dan dan mian recipe?

Small, spicy, and irresistibly crisp, these vlammetjes are perfect for parties or casual nights in. They capture the balance of sweet, savory, and fiery flavors that make Dutch borrel snacks unforgettable, and they are just as easy to enjoy at home as they were at the bar.

Vlammetjes: Spicy Dutch Bar and Party Snacks

g beef

shallot

tbsp sambal oelek

tsp ginger

cayenne pepper

tbsp ketjap manis

½ tsp ground coriander

tbsp flour

Eggroll wrappers (You can also use spring roll wrappers)

Grate the garlic cloves, and the ginger.

Dice your shallots - Try to dice them as small as possible.

Heat a skillet with a splash of oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned.

Stir in sambal oelek, ginger, cayenne pepper, ketjap manis, and coriander. Cook for 2 minutes more.

Mix 1 tbsp flour with ¼ cup water until smooth, then stir this mixture into the beef. Let cook briefly until thickened, then remove from the heat. The filling should be cohesive but still moist. Allow it to cool.

In a small bowl, make a separate flour-and-water paste to use as glue for sealing the wrappers.

Place a spring roll wrapper on your work surface, add about 1 tablespoon of filling, fold the bottom edge over, fold in the sides, and roll tightly. Brush the final edge with the flour paste to seal. Repeat until all filling is used.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or pan to 175 °C (350 °F). Fry the vlammetjes in small batches for 3–4 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with curry mayo, chili sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.

I just made these vlammetjes tonight and they turned out amazing. The filling had the perfect balance of heat and flavor, and the wrappers fried up so light and crisp.

Thank you for such clear instructions, Toine. I’ve already saved this recipe because I know I’ll be making them again for our next get-together.

Top 11 chili pepper recipes from across the web

The most viewed chili pepper recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Fresh Chili Harissa Recipe

Stir-Fried Sweet Potatoes

Oven Baked Jerk Chicken

Creamy Corn and Poblano Soup

Tiger Vegetable Salad

Chili Pepper Salt

Radish Salad

Grilled Jerk Shrimp

Hot Honey Brussels Sprouts

Chef Liu's Sichuan Chili Oil (Xiang...

Vlammetjes: Spicy Dutch Bar and Par...

Top 11 chili pepper recipes from across the web

The most viewed chili pepper recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Fresh Chili Harissa Recipe

Stir-Fried Sweet Potatoes

Oven Baked Jerk Chicken

Creamy Corn and Poblano Soup

Tiger Vegetable Salad

Chili Pepper Salt

Radish Salad

Grilled Jerk Shrimp

Hot Honey Brussels Sprouts

Chef Liu's Sichuan Chili Oil (Xiang...

Vlammetjes: Spicy Dutch Bar and Par...

The most viewed chili pepper recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine