[CH] Some UK chile stuff

Assembly (Assembly1@btinternet.com)
Tue, 11 Jan 2000 14:10:45 +0000 

Hi all,

Probably all you CH-ers in the UK know that big Sainsbury's supermarkets
have a special selection section, in which they sell all their posh foreign
stuff.  I've got a lot of bargains on Cool Chile Company masas and chiles
when they were nearing their sell-by date, most recently a pack of dried
habaneros which they were almost giving away.  

Looking for something to do with them (habaneros aren't that difficult to
buy here, so I've never used dried), I looked in the first group of recipes
that one downloads off the CH website and found a recipe for
Apricot-Habanero glaze, posted by Mike McNally.  With a couple of
substitutions for what I had in the house, I did an Orange version:

juice of 1 orange, and water to make 1/2 cup (original was water, but I was
already using some orange peel in a daube); 
1 dried hab; 
a sprinkling of salt (original 1/2 tsp.); 
a pat of butter (original 1 tsp.); 
1 1/2 tsp. molasses sugar (original is regular brown); 
1 tblsp. raisins (original golden raisins (UK: sultanas), but I used up mine
last month in the Xmas pud); 
3 tblsp. orange marmalade (Frank Cooper's extra coarse; original was apricot
preserves); 
1 tsp. white wine vinegar, or to taste

You heat the juice and add the minced hab., salt and butter.  When that
melts, add the brown sugar and raisins and stir to melt the sugar.  When
that comes to a simmer add the marmalade and vinegar to taste.  Cook so that
the mixture thickens.

I couldn't be bothered to cut up the raisins and the orange peel in the
marmalade and the hab was being stubborn about being minced so I whirred it
all in the blender and then used it to coat some grilled lamb chops.  This
would be fantastic on baked ham or duck, and my husband is already talking
about putting it on swordfish steaks.  With redcurrant jelly, it could be
hab Cumberland sauce.

We're very happy bunnies here in Leicester, because last weekend we really
enjoyed a very quick and easy Pa(n)dang chicken recipe posted on this list
by UK CH Andrew Healy last century, and now we're on to the hot mixed
grills.  Now, does anyone have any suggestions as to the best way to deal
with the other habs?

Cheers,

Virginia
(who doesn't work for Sainsbury's or Cool Chile, but likes a bargain)