Calabrian Peperoncino, whole

The latest addition to Spice Mountain’s famous Chilli Corner, these wonderful chillies from Calabria in Italy’s deep south go straight into the starting line up! Chilli (Peperoncino in Italian) is a vital ingredient in the food of Calabria, the best example being the spicy sausage N’duja which is very popular these days. On a heat level peperoncino would score a healthy 7, and they have a lovely taste of smoke and sunshine. The whole peppers can be used to make fantastic chilli oil; gently heat olive oil in a saucepan, then add the chillies and heat for three or four minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool, then decant. Adding one or two whole chillies to a tomato sauce for pasta will give the dish a lovely heat and tingle, and the same trick works with beans or lentils. Indeed, although it is not traditional, adding a chilli to your Minestrone soup works wonders.