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Capsaicin
is
the chemical compound that gives chillies their heat. An
alkaloid, Capsaicin is distributed throughout the chillies, but
the heaviest concentration of capsaicin is found in the white
pith on the inside of the chilli--those ribs that hold the seeds
in place. Further down on the scale of concentration are the
seeds and then the chilli’s flesh, which has the least amount
of capsaicin. This gives you a convenient way of controlling the
amount of heat that the chilli contributes to a dish. To get the
most bangs out of the chilli, use it whole; for a milder flavour,
simply trim out the seeds and ribs.
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Cutting Chillies the Easy Way
Start by cutting off the entire stem, and then slice the chilli
in half lengthwise. With the tip of a paring knife, you can
remove the seeds and ribs by slicing or nudging them with the
knifepoint. With seeds and ribs out of the way, the chillies are
easily cut into strips or a fine dice.
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Removing the Skins
Many dishes,
especially Mexican and South-western recipes, call for the chilli
to be peeled. You can do this by first charring or blanching the
whole chilli. To char, rub them with a little oil and then set
them directly over a gas burner. Turn the chillies frequently
with tongs or a fork to prevent burning through to the flesh.
When the skins have charred and blistered slightly, pop the chilli into a plastic bag
and let them steam in their own juices for about 20 minutes. The
skins should now rub off easily.
Blanching chillies won't give you the smoky flavour that
charring does, but the technique is great if you don't have a
gas stove. Simply drop the chillies into boiling water for 30
seconds or so, and then plunge them into ice water. Once the
chillies have cooled, they can be skinned just as if they were
charred.
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The Right Techniques for Fresh Chillies
Fresh chilli are becoming more available all the time, and few
supermarkets are without the ubiquitous jalapeno. But the range
in quality can be discouraging, and it can be difficult to
distinguish fresh chilli from ones that have been on the shelves
a while. When shopping for fresh chilli, look for those with
smooth, tight skin and a thick, meaty body. A fresh chilli
should have some heft relative to its diminutive size.
If you won't use your
chilli right away, keep them cool and dry. You can refrigerate
them, but be sure to first remove them from the plastic produce
bag; otherwise, they'll be-come soft and mouldy. The length of
time that chilli will stay fresh in the refrigerator depends on
how fresh they were when you bought them, but generally they'll
keep for three or four days without suffering any loss of
freshness. Once the chilli’s skin begins to wrinkle, it will
lose some of its potency, and if you're roasting or blanching
them, the skins will be difficult to peel.
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Think About Safety
Unless you have particularly tough hands, it's a good idea to
use rubber gloves when handling fresh chilli. Many cookbooks
recommend using dishwashing gloves, but I find that these are
rather clumsy and that getting a handle on small chilli while
wearing them can be frustrating.
Instead, I like to keep a few pairs of surgical gloves around
the kitchen. Available at most drugstores, surgical gloves are
cheap, disposable, and best of all; they allow you to get a firm
grip on the chilli. Once you've begun working with the chilli,
be extremely careful not to touch any part of your body,
especially your eyes. After you've finished, wash your knife and
cutting board with hot soapy water.
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TOP
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Disclaimer /
Copyright 2008
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