Making Chilli Flowers

Thai cooks are famous for their beautiful presentation, and often garnish platters with chilli flowers. These are quite simple to make.

1. Holding each chilli in turn by the stem, slit it in half lengthways.
2. Keeping the stem end of the chilli intact, cut it lengthways into fine strips.
3. Put the prepared chillies in a large bowl of iced water, cover and chill for several hours.
4. The cut chilli strips will curl back to resemble the petals of a flower. Drain well on kitchen paper and use as a garnish. Small chillies may be very hot, so don't be tempted to eat the flowers.

Storage

Look for firm, unblemished fruit, avoiding any chillies that are soft or bruised. Some types look wrinkled even in their prime, so do not let this put you off fruit that otherwise appears to be in good condition. 

The best way to store chillies is to wrap them in kitchen paper, place them in a plastic bag and keep them in the salad compartment of the fridge. They will keep well for a week or more, but it is a good idea to check them occasionally and discard any that begin to show signs of softening. If you intend to use them solely for cooking, they can be frozen. 

There is no need to blanch them if you plan to use them fairly quickly. To dry your own chillies, thread them on a string, hang them in a warm place for a week or two until they are dry, then crush them in a mortar with a pestle.

Using dried chillies

Dry roasting heightens the flavour of dried chillies. Heat a heavy-based frying pan without 'IP adding oil. Press the chillies on to the surface of the pan to roast them, but don't allow them to burn, or their flavour will become bitter. Once the chillies are roasted, remove them from the pan and leave to cool, then crush or grind in a mortar with a pestle before adding to dishes.