Cooking in:The dark green, thin, pointed chillies are the hottest . . .
Chillies are about heat, but this is to simplify their role and should not be their primary function in a dish. Their role is not to grab the limelight, but to work alongside all the other elements. Fold chilli into crab and it extenuates the richness; marinate chicken pieces in chilli, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice and it makes the flesh more full-bodied, somehow more succulent; toss mussels in chilli, parsley and garlic and their meaty, sweet texture is transformed.
Used correctly, chillies provide body, flavour, spice and interest to all sorts of dishes. No wonder then, that there are literally hundreds of varieties, from the nutty, wood-flavoured cascabel, meaning little rattle, to the mulato, which is more smoky, with a hint of liquorice.
For most of us, however, shopping for chillies usually means staring into a basket of red, green or somewhere-in-between fruits, with no idea of their strength. Supermarket chillies tend to be mild; in ethnic stores they are generally more potent.
There is only one sure way to test a chilli and that is to eat some. However, there are a few rules, and exceptions. Dark green are hotter than light green, but both are hotter than red, which is the colour a chilli goes as it ripens. Chillies become sweeter and their flavour more full-bodied the riper they are. Sweet, however, is a relative term. Thin, pointed chillies tend to be hotter than blunt, rounded ones.
The heat in chilli comes from a substance called capsaicin, which, it is said, produces endorphins in the body which block out pain and give a sense of wellbeing. A habanero chilli scores 300,000 Scoville units (similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes), a red pepper on the other hand scores zero. Between both extremes there is a world of sweet, fruity, smoky, lemony, even green-tea flavours, perfect for summer dishes that need zip and zing.
Dried chillies are available all year from the Cool Chile Company. See www.coolchile.co.uk
BEATING THE BURN
The best remedy for chilli burn is dairy products, not beer or water. Yoghurt is particularly soothing.
To reduce the heat of a chilli, cut out the seeds and the membrane holding them to the chilli. The tip is said to be milder than the stem.
In chilli-loving countries children do not start munching their way through habaneros as soon as they stop drinking milk, the process is a gradual one. If you are not used to chillies, start slowly.
GRILLED TUNA WITH CHILLI AND MINT SALSA & NEW POTATOES
800g new potatoes, washed and halved
large bunch parsley, finely chopped
large bunch mint, finely chopped
1 tbsp capers, well rinsed, roughly chopped
1 tbsp gherkins, chopped and well rinsed
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
2 lemons
1 dessert spoon Dijon mustard
1 dried chilli, soaked and roughly chopped or 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (or a few drops of Tabasco)
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 tuna steaks
Cook the potatoes in plenty of well-salted water. Combine the parsley, mint, capers, gherkins, garlic, with the zest from one of the lemons, the mustard and the chilli. Whisk in enough oil to form a thick sauce and season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil the steaks and season well, particularly with salt. Grill, barbecue or pan-fry them for two minutes each side, at most. Serve with salsa, the new potatoes and half a lemon.