What is the best way to make spicy chili using habanero peppers
7 Comments
ChristiaanFebruary 27, 2016
If you wanna to really nuke your chili put your fresh peppers into a blender with a little water and make a puree. Make sure you have a lot of ventilation though your eyes will burn, do not breath it in. I personally prefer bird peppers in my chili, they are wicked hot and not as fruity. Habeneros have a very specific taste so if you are going for that...
Also, wear some kind of gloves. Have fun!
Also, wear some kind of gloves. Have fun!
pierinoFebruary 27, 2016
With caution. These are screaming hot, but as already noted they do have a lovely background flavor once you get past the heat. You might consider laying them out on a sheet pan and roasting them first. Wearing disposable gloves, stem, seed and devein them. Add the flesh to your favorite recipe. Err on the side of moderation.
pierinoFebruary 27, 2016
...also be aware that in cooking them the vapor they release can sting your eyes.
702551February 27, 2016
There are only a handful of kitchen situations that I use safety glasses, but handling very spicy peppers is one of them. In many/most cases, eyeglasses in a kitchen are a hindrance, but not in this instance. If some pepper juice hits you in the eye, it will be painful. Also, safety glasses will take the brunt of the water vapor, not your corneas.
Another is grilling with lump charcoal; an errant spark is also painful.
Another is grilling with lump charcoal; an errant spark is also painful.
SmaugFebruary 26, 2016
In Yucatan, where Habaneros are king, they are most often used as a condiment added to the finished dish- In this case, probably simply shredded or diced finely, but you could make some sort of salsa too. I'm assured that Habaneros have a marvelous, fruity taste, but I can't detect anything past the hot. If you don't have an extremely high tolerance for capsaicin, all you're likely to get from them is heat. As far as "best" chili recipe, a giant can of worms- my favorites involve stewing beef in a sauce made of dried chiles (New Mexico, mostly), but "proper" chili is one of the most controversial subjects in all of cooking.
C S.February 27, 2016
I agree that they are best used as a condiment. My Mexican friends advise chopping them finely mixing with chopped onion and dressing with lime juice - then you serve it at the table as a salsa for people to add to taste.
702551February 26, 2016
Assuming you already have a favorite recipe utilizing a different kind of pepper, I would make a batch with a partial substitution. I'd probably start at 25% of habanero and the rest whatever the recipe called for.
Taste and decide for yourself it the dish is to your liking. Ultimately you want make something that *YOU* want to put on your dinner table. We can't answer that for you, it's up to you and your tastebuds.
Good luck.
Taste and decide for yourself it the dish is to your liking. Ultimately you want make something that *YOU* want to put on your dinner table. We can't answer that for you, it's up to you and your tastebuds.
Good luck.
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