Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

I like to cook and although I don’t really cook for myself, I do cook for my eldest son every day. He likes good food and is open to experimentation…which means that I get to play with ingredients I would not usually buy.

There have been some strange concoctions over the years, but they have always worked… after a few decades in the kitchen, you get a ‘feel’ for what you can combine to make a palatable dish. Every so often, when we are talking food, I will mention something I used to make or an ingredient I once loved.

“Why have you never mentioned this to me before?” is the inevitable reply. Then I am set to finding the raw materials.

A couple of years ago, we had pizza. I made the mistake, of mentioning an oil I used to make and use. I had come across a tiny pizzeria in Vichy, where flavoured oils were left on the table to drizzle on the meal and decided to make my own.

One of the ingredients I used were fresh chillis… mild ones which, along with the herbs, resulted in a delicately balanced and flavoured condiment, useful for cooking, salad dressings and drizzling. Just a teaspoonsful with jazz up any stir fry.

My son decided I should use Komodo Dragon chillis… about as hot as you can go and still have a mouth left. So, as he is now down to the last two bottles of the batch I made six months ago, I made some more. He likes spicy food and drizzles this on almost everything. And the bottles looked so pretty, they make great gifts… so I thought I’d share.

“You can’t publish Mum’s Secret Recipe!”

“Why not?”

“It wouldn’t be secret any more…”

You can choose chillis as mild or as hot as you like… change the herbs to get a variation that goes with favourite dishes…just rosemary, pepper, bay and garlic for lamb, for example, or lemon rind, lemon grass and parsley for fish perhaps. Experiment and have fun… and patience. The oil is best left for at least a month before use.

Once opened, I replace the cork with a spirit pourer. If making these for gifts, it is a good idea to seal the corks with sealing wax.

Nick’s favourite fiery olive oil

4 clean wine bottles

4 tapered corks

Funnel

*

3 Litres Kalamata Olive Oil (or a good cold pressed virgin oil)

This quantity will fill four bottles and leave just a little oil left over.

*

Wash and thoroughly dry:

Large bunch parsley

8 long sprigs rosemary

Large bunch thyme

12 Komodo Dragon Chilli peppers*

4 large or 8 small green chillis

4 large or 8 small red chillis

16 large cloves garlic

4 dessert spoons cracked black peppercorns

4 pinches saffron ( optional)

6 large Bay leaves

4 dessert spoons cardamom seeds, lightly bruised with a rolling pin

*

Split the herbs, chillis and spices between the four bottles, halving or quartering lengthways any chillis too fat for the wine bottle necks. Help the herbs in with the handle of a wooden spoon if needed. Fill with oil using the funnel and cork tightly. I find it useful to date the bottles.

*Wear disposable gloves to handle the Komodo chillis… or if not, wash hands thoroughly and repeatedly and do not rub your eyes for the next two days!