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Chilli Dressings, Oils and Vinegars

Life would be pretty bland if our dishes weren’t embellished if not enhanced by the use of oil, vinegar or dressings. From Caesar’s Salad to Niçoise, from Stir-Fry to slow roasts, these are used everywhere.

Chilli olive oils have been used for centuries in Italy, with regions competing to create the most fragrant and enjoyable condiment to use on its own or to cook with. A multitude of oils are now available in England but only few are really worth the detour, especially chilli infused ones.

Take Chilli Pepper Pete‘s Peri Peri oil. The oil itself is very good quality, of a luscious and almost creamy character while the multitude of varied chillies used to infuse it creates a wonderfully enticing flavour that lingers on the tongue. The great thing with this Peri-Peri oil from Chilli Pepper Pete is that you can always top it up once you have reached the bottom of the bottle as long as it is good quality olive oil. We have been doing it 5-6 times before the dried chillies lost their potency. The flavour is still there in the background though so do not hesitate to try again and again!

Dartmoor Chilli Farm’s Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Chilli Rapeseed Oil could be construed as health in a bottle. You will be hard pushed to find an extra virgin chilli oil of this quality at your local deli or supermarket. Rapeseed oil is making a huge comeback these days, not only because of its virtuous influence on the digestive system and as an aid to weight loss but also because of its extraordinary flavour that adds a definite “je ne sais quoi” to any dish!

Another great produce from Dartmoor Chilli Farm is their Red Fruit Chilli Vinegar. Not your run of the mill vinegar, this has been made with Dartmoor Farm’s own fresh chillies, raspberries, redcurrants and strawberries. It is incredible used as a fruit coulis on pudding or warmed up on new potatoes, it might sound weird but it works!

Made with red peppers, lemon (juice and rind), basil, Italian seasoning, white wine vinegar, and of course chillies, Dartmoor Chilli Farm’s chilli salad dressing has it all and avoids any faffing when you are in a hurry or simply don’t have suitable ingredients at hand. This dressing goes wonderfully well with a simple lettuce or more complex hot and cold salads like Avocado, crab & grapefruit salad, Tomato & Mozzarella, warm smoked turkey & rice salad or the notorious French Niçoise.

It is sometimes hard to go from routine supermarket-bought produce to buying oils, vinegars and dressings from specific shops but it is definitely well worth it, especially where chilli is involved!

About the Author

Ivor is the Director of The Devil’s Garden and an all round chilli geek, he loves everything spicy and his chilli plants are like children

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