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FlyingClayDisk · 10-07-2024, 08:36 AM

Speaking of chilies and hot foods; how many chili-heads do we have here on DI? (vigorously raises hand!) I LOVE chilies and hot food, just love the stuff!

We can find all sorts of things to complain about in the modern era, but one thing where we can all point to something positive is the fact that now days different kinds of hot peppers are really popular, and there are more different kinds out there than ever before. All I can say is...YAY!!!

For a while it was the quest for the hottest pepper, and there are some pretty hot varieties out there, but one thing the 'hottest pepper' craze brought about is varieties of peppers which had rarely ever been heard of prior to that point in time. Peppers like the Nagas, and the Trinidads and Reapers, Ghosts, Jolokias, Scotch Bonnet and so many more.

Being able to tolerate 'heat' from capsicum and other substances is one thing, but exploring and enjoying the actual flavor varieties in all these different peppers is the sign of a true chili-head. We all know how a Bell pepper tastes different than a Jalapeno pepper, but a Habanero pepper on the other hand tastes completely different than just about every other pepper. In fact, you have to be careful using Habanero peppers in a dish, not from the 'heat' perspective, but from the flavor perspective; Habs can easily take over a dish and that's all you can taste. Some of the hottest peppers taste sweet, and some taste smoky, and some even taste chocolaty. Some are bitter (in a good way), and others are rich (I would put Habs in the rich category...almost like smoky garlic).

I remember as a kid, Jalapenos were about the hottest peppers you could find on a consistent basis. Every now and then you'd run into some Cayennes which were pretty hot, but that was about it. Back then I used to be all proud that I could eat raw Jalapenos with no problem. I'd say I could eat the hottest peppers known to man. Then one way I popped a new pepper I'd never seen before in my mouth on a dare. It was a Habanero, and I thought my face would melt. In time I got used to Habs, but now days I look for the flavor of a pepper more than just heat alone.

When I first met my wife, she would always say she had zero tolerance for anything spicy. Her dad loved bland food, and to him, mashed potatoes were spicy. If I even waved a pepper over a dish my wife wouldn't eat it because it was "too hot!". Once I got her dialed into the flavors of peppers, and not just the heat, now she actually encourages me to add things like Habanero and even Scorpions to a dish (in moderation of course)...she loves peppers now. This is great because I've always loved peppers, and now I find myself not just going for heat only, I'm looking for the flavor too.

So hey, something to be happy about when there's so much doom and gloom around us daily. Chili peppers, BAY-BEE!

Just thought I'd share.

Oldcarpy2 · This post was last modified 10-07-2024, 11:47 AM by Oldcarpy2.

I love hot, Nagas are my favorites cos they are hot and fruity.

Ghosts, Trinidad Scorpion etc too hot for me.

In nearby Dorset we have an ace chilli farm that specializes in Dorset Nagas.

I do a mean Jamaican Curry Goat, but with lamb. Scotch Bonnets. Yum.

Frank, the English Judge at a Texas Chilli Cook Off:

https://stuffhappens.us/man-selected-to-...off-15820/

Here's a Curry Goat recipe. I used Lamb, on the bone cuts.

If you want it hotter, substitute your favorite chilli for scotch bonnet. Or add:

https://jamaicanfoodsandrecipes.com/curry-goat-recipe/

FlyingClayDisk · This post was last modified 10-07-2024, 12:41 PM by FlyingClayDisk.

(10-07-2024, 11:28 AM)Oldcarpy2 Wrote: I love hot, Nagas are my favorites cos they are hot and fruity.

Ghosts, Trinidad Scorpion etc too hot for me.

In nearby Dorset we have an ace chilli farm that specializes in Dorset Nagas.

I do a mean Jamaican Curry Goat, but with lamb. Scotch Bonnets. Yum.

Frank, the English Judge at a Texas Chilli Cook Off:

https://stuffhappens.us/man-selected-to-...off-15820/

Man, your Jamaican Curried Chevron with Scotch Bonnets sounds delicious!! I'd love to try some of that for sure! Goat is such a delicious meat. I'm kind of lucky here in CO because I can actually buy it locally (due to the huge Mexican community in CO). Send me your recipe if you wouldn't mind. We love curries! As a matter of fact, I think the last time I had goat we made it into a hot curry and served it over rice.

Regarding peppers; it's funny how some peppers hit harder than others on certain people. Ghost peppers light me up, big time, but the Scorpions not as much. I've got a friend who is also a chili-head and he's the exact opposite. The Naga and Bhut Jolokia's are some flamin' hot sh!t too. I've only heard about this new American "X" pepper which is supposedly 3.5m Scoville! If true, I'm not sure if I even want to try that one. I've never even seen one though (other than pictures, and in the pictures they look like a yellow Scotch Bonnet). I go easy on the super-hot peppers. Eatin' 'em is one thing, but without a good 'exit strategy' they can be pure misery.

edit - The Chili cook off judge thing never gets old! I laugh every single time I read it. I think I've seen a couple hundred variations of it by now, all of them funny.

edit 2 - Thanks for the recipe! Looks delicious! (I was kind of surprised they didn't have a recipe for Jerked Chicken. I wanted to compare it to mine)
BTW - If you want to try some really great jerk seasoning, look up Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning - Hot & Spicy. Stuff makes fantastic jerked chicken and pork. Made with real Scotch Bonnets too. About the closest thing I've ever tasted to real Jamaican Jerked Chicken (on the beach) down in Negril. I can't make it for that cheap, what with all the spices.

Oldcarpy2 · This post was last modified 10-07-2024, 01:10 PM by Oldcarpy2.

I follow the recipe above but add a couple of quartered onions instead of scallions (spring onions) and put lime juice in the marinade.

Marinade for 24 hours in a sealed Tupperware container. Oh, some quartered tomatoes, too.

A taste of Cornwall.

Bait Box Stew. I first cooked this in a holiday let on the beach at Cadgewith on the Lizard Peninsula where you could watch the fishing boats launch and get winched in up the Cove.

I use Monkfish, add a chopped fennel bulb, mussels in shells (discard any that don't open), Dijon mustard and red wine rather than white. Important not to cook the fish too long. I use calamari in it too.

Any firm white fish will do. Hake, Cod, haddock etc.

I don't use orange zest, I add a halved orange and take it out before serving.

https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/foo...03786.html

I serve with sliced French bread topped with grated cheddar, chopped tomatoes drizzled in olive oil roasted in oven.

I have had Boulliabas in France, this is better!

UltraBudgie · 10-07-2024, 04:08 PM

Oh wow fennel! That's next-level right there. And why do chopped tomatoes go sooo well on toasted French bread? It's like chopped onion and pumpernickel - there's some strange deep affinity.

Today I am making Moroccan Stew! I haven't made it before. It's onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, eggplant, green pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, chickpeas and raisins stewed in olive oil, garlic, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cyan, saffron and paprika with fresh chopped parsley mixed in.

My brother is in the hospital with complications from sugarfoot so I'm mostly cooking to keep my mind off stuff but I hope it will be delicious!

AngryOldBrewer · This post was last modified 10-07-2024, 06:41 PM by AngryOldBrewer.

(10-06-2024, 03:55 PM)Lynyrd Skynyrd Wrote: If the SHTF, you might also throw jars of that hot sauce at intruders.

Not a bad idea! They would be crying for Mama lol. It's also good on burritos which is a plus plus!

(10-07-2024, 07:31 AM)FlyingClayDisk Wrote: HA!! Yeah, me too! I had a buddy once tell me a sure fire way to stop some mischievous raccoons from getting into the trash. It involved an insane mixture of habs and vinegar and some other stuff. Had to blend it all together and heat it up. Dumb me; made the mistake of doing that in the kitchen. Well, several CS gas bombs directly to the face would have been more pleasant!! Worse, I'd made the mistake of leaving it on the stove while I went out to the garage to do something. Came in the house and the evil mixture was so bad I couldn't even get near the stove to turn it off. I'd effectively turned the entire house into a chemical warfare zone.

Had every window and door open in the house, and when my wife came home several hours later she couldn't even stay inside the house for longer than a couple minutes.

Those raccoons never fucked with my trash ever again!! One day some flowers and a box of chocolates showed up without a name; I'm pretty sure it was from the raccoon refuse posse begging for a truce!

edit - BTW your hot sauce sounds really good! Mind sharing your recipe/process? I'd like to try this. I'm into all kinds of food preservation, and fermentation is something I'm just getting into. Done lots of beers and wines in my time, but never much with food.

When I have access to a computer and am not working on it, I will totally share a recipe and basic process. Works for all kinds of fermentation

Chili head here BTW. Been growing hots and superhots for a few years now. Everything from Texas Long Horn to Brain Collapse to Aji Charapita. This year has been tough with the heat, but managed some Chocolate Bhutla, Peach Scorpion and Red Serrano. I say red serrano as that is the color when they mature. Yield was low though

FlyingClayDisk · 10-07-2024, 06:48 PM

(10-07-2024, 04:08 PM)UltraBudgie Wrote: ...

Today I am making Moroccan Stew! ...

...

But are you using a Tajine (or Maraq) to make that stew? (Technically a "tajine" is actually a dish, but it has become known as the vessel it's cooked in_)

We love our Tajine, and make many Moroccan and central Asian dishes with that thing! It's awesome!

I really don't think you can duplicate Moroccan food without a Tangine (or "maraq"...which is hard to pronounce).

UltraBudgie · 10-07-2024, 08:38 PM

(10-07-2024, 06:48 PM)FlyingClayDisk Wrote: But are you using a Tajine (or Maraq) to make that stew? (Technically a "tajine" is actually a dish, but it has become known as the vessel it's cooked in_)

We love our Tajine, and make many Moroccan and central Asian dishes with that thing! It's awesome!

I really don't think you can duplicate Moroccan food without a Tangine (or "maraq"...which is hard to pronounce).

Oh ho! So that's the trick! Nope, just a regular big ole stew pot. I knew something was up when I started sauteing the veggies. What, no extra water in the recipe? Well, guess I'll keep the lid on. But wait, I've got to stir it! Oh no it's sticking! Phew, saved it. Each veggie gets added, one at a time, from starchiest (potatoes) to wateriest (tomatoes), each time letting it soak up the flavor of the spices. Lid on. Lid off. Wait, is this stew? Okay, I'll add a splash of tomato juice. There, that fixed it. Aargh, I'm stirring it too much!

Tajine, huh? There's the magic. I'll know for next time.

Turned out great though. Excuse me, I'm gonna go clear this plate.

l0st · This post was last modified 10-17-2024, 09:07 PM by l0st.

(10-06-2024, 03:02 PM)AngryOldBrewer Wrote: Today I'm processing a fermented hot sauce I made with orange habs, red scorpion, garlic, onion and carrot. Gonna add rehydrated guajillo peppers and some cherry wood smoked habs into the blender. Just have to wait for the family to leave before I pasteurize the sauce. Even outdoors, simmering this stuff is the equivalent of setting of a pepper sprayer. Made the mistake of doing it indoors once....once lol

This sounds incredibly hot.. and delicious!

The local walmart stocks some Jalapenos that have to be crossed with Carolina reapers or something as they are the hottest Jalapenos I've ever had. The off-gassing while cooking will choke you and get the eyes and nose running. Definitely fan and open window territory. These things have to be way hotter than the 5000 units (don't remember the unit) Capsaicin they say these things have.

Outside only? Whew! I'm a fan of the El Yucateco Green Habanero sauce but your sauce sounds several times hotter than that. The El Yucateco is no joke. I've had sensitive guests who tried it and shit blood afterwards for a few days from IBS.

(10-06-2024, 03:55 PM)Lynyrd Skynyrd Wrote: If the SHTF, you might also throw jars of that hot sauce at intruders.

Super-soakers full of Dave's Insanity Sauce! Now you got me thinking!

(10-07-2024, 04:08 PM)UltraBudgie Wrote: Oh wow fennel! That's next-level right there. And why do chopped tomatoes go sooo well on toasted French bread? It's like chopped onion and pumpernickel - there's some strange deep affinity.

Today I am making Moroccan Stew! I haven't made it before. It's onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, eggplant, green pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, chickpeas and raisins stewed in olive oil, garlic, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cyan, saffron and paprika with fresh chopped parsley mixed in.

My brother is in the hospital with complications from sugarfoot so I'm mostly cooking to keep my mind off stuff but I hope it will be delicious!

This has me thinking that toasted pumpernickel with caramelized sliced onions, tomatoes, and melted blue cheese with a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar and cracked black pepper is sounding really good right now. Never had it. Wonder how it tastes?