Story Title: Neville's Chilli Oil
Episode: Food and Garden Special
Date: 4 April 2010
Presenter: Neville Passmore

Fall in love with chilli oil as Neville did years ago in a French pizzeria. With the high amount of chilies around this time of year you will be able to make your own to use as an ingredient for delicious dishes.

Neville's Tips and Facts

• For successful chilli oil, drying your chillies first is a must.
• You can use six to seven chillies at one time, so pick your fruits at full colour.
• Jalapeņo types and red Habaneros are one of the world's hottest to dry under the sun.
• Growing chillies is easy at home. They originate in South America in some of the hottest climates, so summer here is peak season for both growth and fruiting.
• It's still OK to plant out now but you will mainly be getting an early start for next year. There is a mind boggling sizzling selection of varieties to choose from and they can be grown in garden beds and pots. Many types will survive through winter to go on cropping for years.
• Chop or crush the dried fruit and bung them into a frying pan with a small quantity of olive oil throw in some crushed chilli powder for good measure. You can tell if it's hot enough as it should sizzle. Toss the chillies till well coated and then add the rest of the oil. Turn the heat up and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Cool the mix and pour through a clean tea towel through a funnel into clean glass bottles. Seal and shake then store in a cool dark place. As the colour comes through so does the flavour you may be able to start using in just a few weeks.
• It's a good idea to produce small quantities at a time rather than a few years supply as the oil slowly goes off and fresh is best.