Topic: Scotch bonnets

[fried]

I've managed to get hold of some goat (kid in fact) and I'm doing a Jamaican style curry with it. I've never used scotch bonnets in a recipe before, how many sounds O.K for a madras hot curry (just over a kilo of meat). The recipe says half chopped. I spoke to a friend a while ago who's African and she said just cut the top off and use them whole...Any thoughts?

[976bar]

They are extremely hot and along the same heat content as Habenaro's. They have a sweetish fruity taste and I personally don't like them in curries. However, a Jamaican dish would suit.

The fact that they are probably fresh, I would add half to one chilli, depending on how hot you want your dish. You can, after tasting the dish, chop another fresh one and add later on towards the end of the cooking process

[Salvador Dhali]

I make a lot of curry goat (as the Jamaicans call it), and find that in a recipe using around a kilo of meat for four people, then two Scotch bonnets/habeneros gives a good Madras hit.

It's by no means an exact science though, as not all chillies are equal when it comes to heat (you can even get heat variance from chillies that come from the same plant). I've had some scotch bonnets that have blown my head off, while others have been relatively mild.

That said, there are several ways you can get that lovely fruity Scotch bonnet flavour without too much of the heat. Firstly, you can remove the seeds and the pithy membrane (which is where most of the capsaicin is concentrated), and secondly, you can make the curry goat the day before. The intensity of heat mellows considerably if the dish is left overnight.


   

[fried]

Thanks guys.

I'm warey of adding fresh chilli late in the cooking process, but in this case I'll play safe (guests).

I thought you'd disappeared without trace SD.