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Chef’slarder

All part of the same capsicum family, sweet peppers and chillies come in a fantastic range of colours, shapes and sizes, with heat ranging from mild to super-hot. Peppers are delicious roasted or grilled to bring out their sweet flavours, stuffed to make a meal on a plate, or sliced raw into salads, while chillies add their individual heat and flavour to salsas, curries and chilli dishes.

Sweet red peppers are annual plants and produce the well-loved large bell-shaped fruits that can be red, orange, yellow or green. Always choose red over orange and yellow and there is little merit in green peppers, although frustratingly one is always included in the cheaper bags of mixed peppers in supermarkets. Romano

and paprika types are thin sweet red peppers, ideal for both salads and cooking. At Demuths Cookery School we prefer the long, thin-skinned red Romano peppers to the traditional bell ones, but whichever type you use, sweet red peppers are a very good source of vitamin C and antioxidants.

Chilli plants are perennial, but are usually grown as annuals. A pot of chillies from the supermarket or garden centre can carry over to next year if kept frost-free indoors during the winter. There are hundreds of different varieties of chillies, all with varying degrees of heat and flavours and many are now grown widely in the UK. Capsaicin, the hot element, is measured in Scoville units, which range from zero for sweet red peppers to 300,000 plus for the world’s hottest chillies, such as the Dorset Naga. Some people say capsaicin produces endorphins that enhance a feeling of well-being.

Generally speaking, larger chillies usually have less heat. Green chillies can be hot, but they often have a fresher taste than ripe red chillies. To reduce the heat, remove the seeds and membrane inside the chilli before cooking, and as the capsaicin is usually less concentrated in the tip of the fruit, just use this part for the mildest effect.

When it comes to handling and eating chillies, my best tips are to always wear kitchen gloves when slicing or chopping them, and wash your hands and utensils thoroughly afterwards – remember not to touch sensitive areas (such as your eyes!) after handling chillies. And if you’ve overdone it on the chilli in your dish and your mouth is on fire, the best remedy is to drink milk or eat yogurt, as water or beer will spread the capsaicin – and the pain. Luckily, chilli burn subsides quickly and there will be no long-term effects!

TYPES OF CHILLIAnchos are dried poblano chillies and are so called because of their broad shape, ancho meaning ‘broad’ or ‘wide’. Anchos are one of the most widely used chillies in Mexico and are prized for their deep red colour and dried fruity flavours. Anchos are part of the ‘Holy Trinity’ group of chillies used in making mole sauces, the other two being mulatos and pasillas.

PASILLAS are dried and long, thin and dark red in colour. They have a flavour of dried fruit with a touch of liquorice and coffee.

JALAPEÑO are fresh chillies, torpedo-shaped, thick-fleshed and hot. They develop a cork-like netting on their surface, a trait highly prized by Mexican cooks. They can be stuffed or sliced into rings for nachos and pizza toppings.

CHIPOTLES are smoked and dried jalapeños with a strong smoky flavour and heat to match. They have undertones of tobacco and dried fruit.

HOW TO USE DRIED CHILLIES Dried chillies need to be rehydrated in water before using; toasting is optional, which intensifies the chilli flavours.

TOASTING Wipe the chillies, remove the stem, cut them open and shake out the seeds. Heat a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat, press the chillies, one at time, onto the hot surface. The chillies will turn tan in places and there may even be a small amount of smoke, but no more than this. Do this on both sides, placing the toasted chillies in a bowl ready to be rehydrated.

REHYDRATING If you are not toasting them as above, wipe the chillies over with a damp cloth to remove any dirt. Remove the stem and shake out the seeds. Place the untoasted or toasted chillies in a bowl and add just boiled water to cover. Place a small plate on top of the chillies to keep them submerged. In about 15 minutes the chillies will have reverted to their fresh colour and plumped up. They are now ready to use.

Rachel Demuth adds vibrant colour and tingly heat to her cooking using an array of sweet peppers and warming chillies.

ABOUT RACHELChef-proprietor of the award-winning Demuths restaurant in Bath for 25 years, Rachel is now dedicated to running the Demuths Vegetarian Cookery School, which offers a range of themed workshops, guest chef events, cookery holidays in France and Italy, and the Demuths Vegetarian and Vegan Diplomas for professional chefs and keen cooks. As a well-travelled foodie, Rachel loves to combine her passion for global cuisine with the best of locally grown produce.www.demuths.co.uk

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Feeling hot, hot, hot…

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HOW TO ROAST AND PEEL A SWEET PEPPERRed peppers are the sweetest and best for roasting. Slice the pepper in half lengthways, remove the seeds and any white membrane. Place on an oiled baking tray and roast in a hot oven or under the grill until the skin has blackened. Put them into a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle, the skin should peel off easily. Whole peppers can also be blackened over the naked flame on the gas hob, turning them with tongs until the skin has blackened and blistered.

Roasted chillies stuffed with cashew cheese These roasted stuffed chillies are lovely as an appetiser, or you could serve them alongside other small dishes as part of a Mexican tapas, or with tortillas and a green salad.

Makes 12Prep 30 mins + soaking and settingCook 30 mins

For the cashew cheese:200g cashew nuts, soaked in cold water overnight or a minimum of 4 hours50–75ml cold water, for blendingjuice of ½ lemon1 tsp garlic powder2–3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes½ tsp salt

12 mixed fat red and green chillies, such as jalapeños olive oil, for roasting and frying50g fresh breadcrumbs1 clove garlic, finely chopped

zest of 1 lemon3 tbsp chopped finely chives 3 tbsp chopped finely parsleypinch of Aleppo chilli flakesblack pepper

1 Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and place in a blender with half the water, the lemon juice, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and salt. Blend until very smooth, adding more water if necessary to help the nuts to process, then taste and adjust the flavour. Scrape the cashew mixture into a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl, twist the ends together, and place in the fridge overnight to drain and firm up.2 Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place the whole chillies in a roasting tin and

drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast for 10–15 minutes or until they are just softening and the skin is blistered. 3 Allow the chillies to cool enough to handle then, using a small sharp knife, carefully slit a them open from just below the stalk to almost the end tip. Carefully scoop out the seeds and discard. 4 Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, then fry the breadcrumbs until golden and crisp. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant. Add half the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon each of the chopped herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, decant into a small bowl and set aside.5 Remove the cashew cheese from the muslin, and empty into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining chopped fresh herbs, remaining lemon zest, Aleppo chilli flakes

and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning to suit.6 Fill a piping bag with the cashew cheese mixture and pipe a little into the cavity of each chilli. Alternatively, use two teaspoons to carefully fill each cavity with the cashew cheese. Top each chilli with a spoonful of the breadcrumbs, then either serve at once or pop into a hot oven for a few minutes to warm through.COOK’S TIP If you’re not keen on hot chillies, substitute with baby bell peppers. If you have any cashew cheese left over, it will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. Vegetarians could substitute the cashew cheese with ricotta or soft goat’s cheese.n PER SERVING 135 cals, fat 10g, sat fat 2g, carbs 6g, sugars 2g, protein 5g, salt 0.06g, fibre 1g

ROASTED CHILLIES STUFFED WITH CASHEW CHEESE

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POZOLE

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Chef’slarder

Pozole Pozole is a traditional Mexican thick spicy soup, containing hominy, which are the large kernels from white maize cobs used extensively in South American and Mexican cooking. Pozole has a spooky past that originates from the ancient Aztecs. We will spare you the gruesome and very un-vegetarian history, as we’ve adapted the recipe to make a delicious and nutritious vegan dish to warm you up on a cool night!

Serves 6 | Prep 45 mins | Cook 45 mins

For the chilli sauce:2 dried ancho chillies2 dried pasilla chillies1 medium onion, cut into wedges4 fat cloves garlic, unpeeled2 large mild fresh red chillies200ml hot water

2 tbsp olive oil400g can green jackfruit, drained and sliced 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground2 cloves, ground to a powder2 tsp paprika2 tsp dried oregano1 bay leaf800g can hominy maize, drained1 litre vegetable stock400g can pinto or black beans, drained juice of 1 lime1 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp salt½ tsp ground black pepper

To garnish:small pot of sour cream or soya cream100g spring greens or white cabbage, shredded4 radishes, sliced1 avocado, slicedsmall handful of coriander leaves1 lime, cut into wedges1 red chilli, sliced

1 First make the chilli sauce. In a heavy frying or griddle pan, dry-toast the dried chillies, turning as they crackle and puff and begin to smell aromatic. Remove onto a plate to cool. Do the same with the onion wedges, whole garlic cloves and whole fresh chillies, toasting on all sides till charred in places and beginning to soften. Set aside on a plate to cool.2 Remove the stalks and seeds from the toasted chillies, and tear or cut into smaller pieces. Place the toasted chillies in a bowl with the hot water, and soak for 10–15 minutes or until soft. Drain and reserve half of the water for later. Remove the stalk, seeds and skin if it comes away easily from the fresh charred chillies, and place in a blender. Remove the

skin from the garlic and add to the blender with the onions and soaked dried chillies with half the soaking water, then blend to a smooth sauce.3 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the jackfruit gently until golden in places. Add the spices, oregano and bay leaf and stir for 1 minute. Add the chilli sauce and stir well to coat the jackfruit. Stir in the drained hominy, and cook for a minute or two on a low heat. Add 600ml of the vegetable stock, increase the heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes.4 Add the pinto beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes. You may need to add extra liquid, either stock or water. (You could use the reserved soaking water from the toasted chillies). The dish should be thick but soupy. Add the lime juice and sugar to balance the flavour. Season generously with salt and pepper then taste and adjust. 5 Serve the pozole in bowls, garnished with a spoonful of sour cream or soya cream, shredded spring greens or cabbage, avocado and radish slices, coriander leaves, lime wedges and a little red chilli.COOK’S TIP If you prefer less spice, halve the quantity of chillies in this recipe, and instead, you could add a skinned roasted red pepper to the sauce, when blending.n PER SERVING 374 cals, fat 18g, sat fat 5g, carbs 44g, sugars 20g, protein 9g, salt 1.47g, fibre 4g

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MEXICAN INGREDIENTSDRIED CHILLIES At the cookery school we buy our dried chillies online from The Cool Chilli Company, stockists of many Mexican ingredients including the dried hominy maize.

JACKFRUIT A native to the tropics, jackfruit is the world’s largest tree-borne fruit and each knobbly green specimen can weigh up to 35kg! You can buy green jackfruit in tins – but make sure you buy the sugar-free version for savoury dishes. Jackfruit soaks up flavours and is fibrous, so is said to mimic pulled pork.

HOMINY You can find cans of hominy available to buy online as well as the dried kernels which need soaking and boiling for several hours until tender. Using the dried kernels is very time-consuming, so we recommend using the canned variety. Regular sweetcorn is a completely different flavour and texture, so wouldn’t make a suitable substitute.

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PEPPERONATA PIZZA

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Chef’slarder

LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS Make extra pepperonata as it keeps well for a few days in the fridge and is great served on toast or stirred through pasta, quinoa or couscous for a quick meal. You can add some cooked brown lentils or chickpeas to make a nutritious quick meal.

Pepperonata pizza Pepperonata is a southern Italian dish of sweet peppers cooked with onion or shallots. Traditionally tomatoes are added too, but we’ve left them out to make a drier pizza topping.

Makes 4 pizzas | Prep 1 hr + proving | Cook 30 mins

For the pizza base:1 tbsp dried active yeast1 tsp sugar300ml lukewarm water500g white bread flour, plus extra for kneading1 tsp salt4 tbsp olive oil

For the pepperonata topping:2 tbsp olive oil 8 mixed red, orange and yellow peppers, deseeded and sliced 2 banana shallots, sliced4 cloves garlic, sliced100ml white wine2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed wellsea salt and black pepperfresh oregano leaves, for sprinkling

1 To make the pizza dough, whisk together the yeast, sugar and water, and leave for 5–10 minutes until frothy.2 In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and olive oil together, stir in the frothy yeast mixture and mix by hand or in a mixer with a dough hook. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise until double in size.3 To make the pizza topping, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the peppers for about 10 minutes, lower the heat, then add the shallot. Continue to cook slowly for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the shallot and peppers are soft and beginning to brown. 4 Increase the heat a little, add the wine and allow to reduce down until syrupy. Add the capers and season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.5 Preheat the oven to 245C/fan 225C/gas 9. Place a pizza stone or large heavy baking tray in the centre of the oven to heat up.6 When the dough has doubled in size, remove onto a floured work surface and divide into four pieces. Roll each into a neat ball and rest for 5 minutes. Take a ball of dough and roll out until it is the size of a dinner plate. You may find it easier to gently pull and stretch the dough into shape.7 Carefully remove the hot baking stone or baking tray, place the pizza base on top, and quickly cover with a quarter of the pepper mix. Bake for 6–8 minutes until the dough is crisp and golden. Repeat with the remaining dough and peppers and serve straight away, garnished with oregano leaves.n PER PIZZA 715 cals, fat 19g, sat fat 3g, carbs 108g, sugars 14g, protein 18g, salt 1.25g, fibre 11g

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