Chilli recipes: Kay Plunkett-Hogge turns up the Heat in her new book

Food writer Kay Plunkett-Hogge pays homage to the chilli in her new book Heat, as she follows the fiery little fruit from the Americas to Europe, and along spice routes to the Middle East, India, China and beyond.

The recipes, which have been amassed by the author over 30 years, showcase the chilli’s rich, nomadic history, and its extraordinary versatility – from Thai classics and Italian pastas to desserts with a kick.

“There are dishes I’ve had cooked for me by friends from all over the world, dishes I’ve discovered on my travels, and dishes I’ve dreamt up in my chilli-fevered brain," says Plunkett-Hogge.

"As with so many meals and recipes, most come with specific stories and memories that make them special to me."

Here, she shares two recipes that will bring some warmth to your kitchen...

Caponata Siracusa

Serves 6–8

6–8 tbsp olive oil
2 firm, medium aubergines, cut into 2.5cm (1in) dice
1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 red or orange Romano peppers, seeded and chopped
1–2 Italian hot red chillies, seeded and chopped
4 celery sticks, chopped
160g (5½oz) cherry tomatoes (about 18), halved, plus 4 more, halved, to garnish
2 tbsp capers, drained
4 tbsp raisins or sultanas, or both
1 tbsp sugar
6–8 tbsp red wine vinegar
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
15 pitted black olives, halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Toast or crusty bread

This colourful agrodolce vegetable medley was always one of the first things I ordered when my family used to sail to Sicily when I was a girl. It’s great as a snack on bread or toast, as part of an antipasti platter, or as a side for meat or fish.

And it stars the Romano pepper, which is closely related to the bell or sweet pepper. This recipe makes a fairly large amount, but it keeps well and it will disappear in no time.

Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy-based, lidded pan over a medium hob. You won’t need all the oil up front, just add it as you need it.

Add the aubergines – you may have to do this in batches, as you don’t want to crowd the pan and cause the aubergines to ‘sweat’. You want them a nice goldeny brown on the cut sides. This should take 5–6 minutes. Remove and set aside on kitchen paper.

Heat the final tablespoon of oil in the empty pan and add the onion. Allow it to colour a little. Add the peppers, chilli and celery, and stir well, coating all the vegetables in olive oil. Add the tomatoes and cooked aubergine and stir through, then add the capers and raisins or sultanas.

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Mix the sugar and vinegar together in a small bowl and add that to the pan too. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer gently for 5–10 minutes, then cook for another 5 minutes uncovered. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Take off the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. When it’s cooled, add the parsley, olives and extra cherry tomato halves and stir through gently. Serve on small plates, drizzle over the extra-virgin olive oil, scatter with the toasted pine nuts and enjoy with toast or crusty bread.

Masala Omelette

Serves 1

1 small shallot, finely chopped (about 25g (1oz) in total)
1 Indian green finger chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander, plus an extra sprig to garnish
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp Kashmiri mirch
3 eggs
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Eggs embrace chilli like an old friend, creating a plate of food that’s soothing and feisty by turns. This spicy omelette features Kashmiri mirch, a powder made from red chillies grown in the Kashmir region of India and Pakistan. It has a mellow heat and a sweet, warm flavour. And it’s readily available from most good stockists or on the internet. If you can’t find it, you can substitute it with chilli powder, but it’s well worth making the effort to source the real thing.

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In a small bowl, mix together the shallot, chilli, salt, pepper, coriander and spices. Then gently whisk in the eggs.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium hob, then pour in the egg mixture. Distribute it evenly across the pan, and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the bottom has set. Flip the omelette and cook for a further minute or so.

Turn out on to a plate, and squeeze over the lemon juice, garnishing with a coriander leaf. Have it for breakfast, or serve for lunch with a salad and bread or chapatti.