Yes our first love lies with hot sauces but we do sometimes appreciate flavour over heat (no, really we do, promise!) so we thought we would provide a bit of advice to people wanting to know about chillies but dont quite know where to start.
Our first stop is at
Dartmoor Chilli Farm. With an extensive range of really good quality Belgian chocolates you can have your pick at various flavours and heat levels. We just cannot decide which one to pick most of the time as they are all really scrumptious so instead we adapt them to times of the day.
Dartmoors Chilli Farm Dark Chocolate with orange is ideal at breakfast, melted in a cup of warm milk while the coffee version is fantastic right after lunch. The mint one we just use as an After Eight treat, and the dark or milk one, both sensational in baking, usually end up all over our faces when in front of the telly! As for their latest flavours such as whole almonds, apricot or ginger pieces and fruit & nut, well well admit we just eat those whenever we can and wherever we are!
Dartmoors Chilli Farm is also known for its chilli jam. The mild one is quite sweet and works a treat with kids. The medium-hot version we use mainly with cold meats although the heat level is still relatively low but the flavour is truly amazing and we are slowly trying to wean some of our customers off it as we are starting to be worried for their health!
When it comes to preserves,
Mr Vikkis, a local producer in Cumbria, is the specialist. Its mildest products are the mango or apricot chutney (out of this world!), Hot Gooseberry (oddly works really well with beef), Chilli Jam (chunky and tasty!) or Tomato & Nigella (great with cheese!).
You just have to try Mr Vikkis Maxs Ketchup and Harrys Brown Sauce (named after his kids!). Our world hasnt been the same since we discovered these wonderful alternatives to common brands. Not only is the hint of chilli deeply pleasurable but the fresh taste from quality ingredients and no E numbers make it a great everyday condiment to have in your fridge.
Mr Vikkis North Indian Curry Paste could be deemed a tad hot but it just depends how much you use and how long you cook it for. We can usually get 12-13 meals out of one jar, and thats with our high chilli heat threshold so well worth the money. The versatility of Mr Vikkis curry paste and the pungent flavour is enough to make anybody weak in the knees so why not give it a try?
Firefoods is another great brand for chilli beginners (apart from their Fire Onions!!) Their mildest products are Chilli Chocolate Drops (which are great in homemade cookies!), chilli jam which is quite sweet and cinnamony and will suit kids tastebuds, chunky chutney which is awesome with strong cheeses and Chilli & Garlic sauce which is oh! so tasty in Chinese Food.
Finally, why not have a go at Chilli Pepper Petes Green Naga Heathunter. We hear you say of course, that the naga chilli is one of the hottest chilli peppers but the fruitiness and spices present in this little bit of sunshine will soon make you want to discover what other scrummy delight is out there...
