CREMA DI PEPERONCINI – Hot Pepper Paste in Autumn

Chillies are called peperoncini in Italian and are at their best in Autumn.

I am enthusiastic about fresh seasonal produce and get active.

These chillies were grown by friends in their garden in Adelaide and I decided to make a chili paste for them.

Harissa

I have been making Harissa for a very long time since one of my Sicilian relatives who lives in Augusta introduced me to it about thirty five years ago.  Augusta is in south eastern Sicily and  is an important Sicilian  and Italian naval base and trading port.  Giacomo is a mechanical naval engineer and was often called out to work on naval vessels in the gulf, some vessels  were from Tunisia, Algeria and Libya  and he was introduced to this hot chilli paste through his contacts. There are many recipes for this paste and it is an important condiment in Middle Eastern Cuisine.

Some make Harissa with dry chillies, some with fresh chillies and some with roasted chillies. I usually use cumin and caraway seeds and garlic when I make it.

I use Harissa in many ways and always to accompany cuscus.

Salsa Romesco

I also like to make Salsa Romesco , a condiment popular around Barcelona in north-eastern Spain.  Like when making harissa there are many variations to recipes  but this condiment is commonly made with red peppers,  garlic, tomatoes, white bread and almonds.  Sometimes I have  roasted the peppers and added some roasted chillies as well.

Crema di Peperoncino

Crema di Peperoncino is a chilli paste that is very popular in Calabria. It is usually made with fresh chillies , salt,  garlic and olive oil.  I thought that would combine my experiences for making Harissa and Romesco and make a roasted chili paste. No spices, just chillies, salt, garlic and extra virgin olive oil  – Crema di peperoncini.

Isn’t that what cooking is all about?

I kept is very simple, and hot tasting.

I could have made a milder paste by adding some ordinary red peppers but I decided to just keep the Crema di pepperoncino hot, hot. hot….And it was. I used the other red peppers in a salad.

The photos demonstrate what I did.

Use any type of red chillies that you have.

INGREDIENTS

Red chillies, garlic to taste, 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, teaspoon of salt (preservative), more extra virgin olive oil to place on top.

Process

• Grill/ Roast the chillies on high heat. Turn once until blackened and charred all over. Do the same with unpeeled garlic cloves.

1. 

• Allow to cool.
• Remove the skins and seeds – you can leave some seeds if you would like it hotter!

• Blend all the ingredients together.
• Place the food in a sterilised jar and top with a layer of oil to seal. Store the jar in the refrigerator and replace a layer of oil on top each time you remove a portion to prevent mould.

See previous posts:

HARISSA (A hot chili condiment)

SALSA ROMESCO (Romesco sauce, this recipe is made with roasted peppers, tomatoes and almonds)