Smoked Chillies is a traditional Mexican recipe for a classic method of drying chillies by smoking on a barbecue. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Mexican version of: Smoked Chillies.
As with many items of world cuisine, chipotles, or smoked chillies are virtually impossible to get in South Africa... They are essential in many sauces and enhance the flavour of many dishes. You can get dried chillies everywhere, but smoked chillies are impossible to get. We grow our own chillies in the garden, African birds' eye, Habanero, Scotch bonnet, Piquins, Serrano, Cayenne and Jalapeños, to name the most common. We dry them and freeze them, but in Kwa-Zulu Natal's humid climate smoking remains one of the best preservation methods.
Smoking chillies, to make chipotles is an excellent way of both flavouring and preserving chillies. It is an ancient method of preserving, going back to at least 200 CE in Mesoamerica. However, it was the Aztecs who brought this method of preserving to its pinnacle and introduced the world to chipotles.
For this method I will use a standard kettle barbecue, but you can also use an indoor hot smoker. Or, if you don't have any use a foil container (the type that fast food comes in, fill half way with a blend of tea and wood chips, place chopsticks or wire mesh on the top and sit the chillies on these. Place on a hob, cover with a wok lid, set the heat to high and just wait for the smoke to come.
Most chipotle chillies are smoked jalapeño chillies, with the most common being the 'mora' variety (as shown in the image, below), a smaller jalapeño variety that ripens quicker (you need ripe chillies for smoking). However, any chilli can be smoked and the different flavour and heat profiles of the chilli smoked will subtly alter the flavour of any dish you make with it.
200g (1/2 lb) wood chips (fruit wood, mesquite, hickory)
2 tbsp tea (optional, but tea does give the smoke a lovely aroma)
Place the charcoal on your barbecue (you need any type with a lid — a kettle barbecue is perfect), and light. Allow the coals to become hot for about 20 to 30 minutes. Place the wood chips in a large bowl, cover with water and set aside to soak.
Remove the stem ends from the chillies, split in half and scrape out the seeds (but you don't have to do this... we like our food hot and keep the seeds and membranes intact).
When the barbecue is hot, drain the wood chips and scatter 2/3 over the hot coals then scatter over the tea. Cover and when smoking put the split chillies on the grill. Cover the barbecue with a lid and allow the chillies to smoke for about 6 hours, or until essentially dry. During this time, top up the charcoal and the wood chips as needed to keep the fire and the smoke going.
At the end of the 6 hours remove the chillies and set aside to dry. Test them for dryness. If they snap rather than bending when flexed, they are dry. However, if not dry place in a very low oven for 2 hours and test for dryness again.
When dried, store in an air-tight tin out of the sun. Alternatively thread onto string and hang in your kitchen.
Note, if you are using the stove-top method don't smoke the chillies for more than 40 minutes, you don't want to risk a kitchen fire. Instead, whilst the chillies are smoking heat your oven to 120ºC (250ºF). Sit the chillies on a baking tray, turn the oven off, place the chillies in the oven then prevent the oven door from closing with a wooden spoon. Allow to dry for 4 hours. If they are not dry by this time, repeat the drying time.
This is an essential ingredient in my Chipotle Chilli Sauce recipe.
As with many items of world cuisine, chipotles, or smoked chillies are virtually impossible to get in South Africa... They are essential in many sauces and enhance the flavour of many dishes. You can get dried chillies everywhere, but smoked chillies are impossible to get. We grow our own chillies in the garden, African birds' eye, Habanero, Scotch bonnet, Piquins, Serrano, Cayenne and Jalapeños, to name the most common. We dry them and freeze them, but in Kwa-Zulu Natal's humid climate smoking remains one of the best preservation methods.
Smoking chillies, to make chipotles is an excellent way of both flavouring and preserving chillies. It is an ancient method of preserving, going back to at least 200 CE in Mesoamerica. However, it was the Aztecs who brought this method of preserving to its pinnacle and introduced the world to chipotles.
For this method I will use a standard kettle barbecue, but you can also use an indoor hot smoker. Or, if you don't have any use a foil container (the type that fast food comes in, fill half way with a blend of tea and wood chips, place chopsticks or wire mesh on the top and sit the chillies on these. Place on a hob, cover with a wok lid, set the heat to high and just wait for the smoke to come.
Most chipotle chillies are smoked jalapeño chillies, with the most common being the 'mora' variety (as shown in the image, below), a smaller jalapeño variety that ripens quicker (you need ripe chillies for smoking). However, any chilli can be smoked and the different flavour and heat profiles of the chilli smoked will subtly alter the flavour of any dish you make with it.
Smoked Chillies Recipe
Ingredients:
1kg (2 lbs) chillies, washed200g (1/2 lb) wood chips (fruit wood, mesquite, hickory)
2 tbsp tea (optional, but tea does give the smoke a lovely aroma)
Method:
For all kinds of smoking it is recommended that you do not use resinous woods (ie pine) as these can impart an unpleasant 'medicinal' note to the food being smoked.Place the charcoal on your barbecue (you need any type with a lid — a kettle barbecue is perfect), and light. Allow the coals to become hot for about 20 to 30 minutes. Place the wood chips in a large bowl, cover with water and set aside to soak.
Remove the stem ends from the chillies, split in half and scrape out the seeds (but you don't have to do this... we like our food hot and keep the seeds and membranes intact).
When the barbecue is hot, drain the wood chips and scatter 2/3 over the hot coals then scatter over the tea. Cover and when smoking put the split chillies on the grill. Cover the barbecue with a lid and allow the chillies to smoke for about 6 hours, or until essentially dry. During this time, top up the charcoal and the wood chips as needed to keep the fire and the smoke going.
At the end of the 6 hours remove the chillies and set aside to dry. Test them for dryness. If they snap rather than bending when flexed, they are dry. However, if not dry place in a very low oven for 2 hours and test for dryness again.
When dried, store in an air-tight tin out of the sun. Alternatively thread onto string and hang in your kitchen.
pork, meat, easter, blackcurrants, chipotle, roasting, meat
Pork
Fusion
Smoked Chillies
https://fabulousfusionfood.blogspot.com/2019/04/smoked-chillies-recipe.html
Smoked Chillies. This is a set of methods for preserving chillies by smoking to make chipotles; essential if you live where smoked chillies are not available.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjrOnyEcsM4hv1nWayCQ9vwgDJ_i-CavBt3dCAqyDhNKtbNUWXjtUT3vt4Pj_4VZmTLm7QF7V2ZBL0-Gxp2_mI7uGkBJstLDEaMxtQWsuMODRW8VUC082s0V3lcWFvS9EvGPG4GrbUA0/s1600/smoked-chipotle.png
2019-04-18
Yield: 150g
Smoked Chillies
Smoked Chillies. This is a set of methods for preserving chillies by smoking to make chipotles; essential if you live where smoked chillies are not available.
prep time: 40 mins
cook time: 360 mins
total time: 400 mins
Ingredients:
- 1kg (2 lbs) chillies, washed
- 200g (1/2 lb) wood chips (fruit wood, mesquite, hickory)
- 2 tbsp tea (optional, but tea does give the smoke a lovely aroma)
Method:
- For all kinds of smoking it is recommended that you do not use resinous woods (ie pine) as these can impart an unpleasant 'medicinal' note to the food being smoked as well as potentially being explosive!!
- Place the charcoal on your barbecue (you need any type with a lid — a kettle barbecue is perfect), and light. Allow the coals to become hot for about 20 to 30 minutes. Place the wood chips in a large bowl, cover with water and set aside to soak.
- Remove the stem ends from the chillies, split in half and scrape out the seeds (but you don't have to do this... we like our food hot and keep the seeds and membranes intact).
- When the barbecue is hot, drain the wood chips and scatter 2/3 over the hot coals then scatter over the tea. Cover and when smoking put the split chillies on the grill. Cover the barbecue with a lid and allow the chillies to smoke for about 6 hours, or until essentially dry. During this time, top up the charcoal and the wood chips as needed to keep the fire and the smoke going.
- At the end of the 6 hours remove the chillies and set aside to dry. Test them for dryness. If they snap rather than bending when flexed, they are dry. However, if not dry place in a very low oven for 2 hours and test for dryness again.
- When dried, store in an air-tight tin out of the sun. Alternatively thread onto string and hang in your kitchen.
© Dyfed Lloyd Evans
Note, if you are using the stove-top method don't smoke the chillies for more than 40 minutes, you don't want to risk a kitchen fire. Instead, whilst the chillies are smoking heat your oven to 120ºC (250ºF). Sit the chillies on a baking tray, turn the oven off, place the chillies in the oven then prevent the oven door from closing with a wooden spoon. Allow to dry for 4 hours. If they are not dry by this time, repeat the drying time.
This is an essential ingredient in my Chipotle Chilli Sauce recipe.
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