HUNTER-GATHERING: wild & fresh food

Ring of fire...

I am obsessed with all things chilli. It was something I was aware of, but I didn’t understand the scale of my ‘problem’. Yesterday I was cleaning out the condiments cupboard and realised just how many weird and wonderful sauces I had accumulated, the fridge too, had more jars of pickled chillies than is necessary for any household.

I love the ‘rush’ that occurs when you bite into a pickled Jalapeno and the heat gradually spreads across the tongue and gets the endorphins flowing. It is this cheap thrill that has turned me into the chilli ‘junkie’ that I am today, but as Jonny Cash knew all to well, the aftershock of a chilli binge can have devastating affects on certain parts of the human anatomy.

Chillies are native to Central and South America and have been used since the first ballsy Mexican decided to bite into one about 7000 years ago. They spread to the rest of the world after that clever chap Christopher Columbus realised their potential as a unique flavouring and brought them home with him in 1492.

As the chilli spread, various countries adopted their favourites: Serannos and Jalapenos in Mexico, Scotch bonnets in the Caribbean and Cayenne varieties in India and the Far East. It seems everyone is partial to a little heat in their food.

The heat that can be so addictive comes from the chemical ‘Capsaicin’ which is most prolific in the seeds and membranes of the fruit. To gauge the varying degrees of heat in chillies, the Scoville scale was developed by Wilbur L Scoville in 1912.  The Scoville scale works by diluting a solution of pepper extract in sugar water until the ‘heat’ is no longer detectable.

It was inevitable that the male psyche would turn chilli heat into a form of macho competition, while your average beer-guzzling-curry nut would take on a Vindaloo or Fahl, an Indian would never dream of it. The quest for a Scoville scale topping heat has reached new levels; extract sauces are now all the rage in ring-blistering condiments.

To give you an example, Tabasco measures 2,500-5,000 on the Scoville scale. The hottest extract sauce “Blair’s 16million reserve” measures a whopping 16,000,000 (clue in the title?) and is sold for around £105 a bottle, oh and it also comes with a disclaimer…

 

Some of the names that have sprung up such as Dave’s insanity sauce, Satan’s blood, Vicious Viper, Da’ Bomb and Crazy Jerry’s Mustard Gas are but a few of the long list of extract sauces that would have you wish you had an asbestos bum hole.  Frankly, after reading about Tom Parker-Bowles’ experience at a chilli fest in ‘The year of eating dangerously’, I will probably stick to my favourites.

I have had a love affair with Tabasco (and written about its origins here) for as long as I can remember, I think at University I must have been on about a bottle a week- methadone to the chilli abuser. I still love it but the heat no longer chokes my chicken: there has been a new kid on the block for the last year or so, I now get my fix from Encona hot pepper sauce which utilises the fiery heat of the Scotch bonnet. Even the slightest sniff of the stuff makes my mouth water uncontrollably, although the girlfriend always reminds me when its Taco night of the pain I might feel the following day if I over indulge, like most simple males, I never seem to listen. 

I tend to pick up unusual specimens wherever I go, in this country we have been blessed with Nando’s sauces (about the only good thing of the entire franchise). Despite trying, I haven’t found Tabasco Chipotle sauce anywhere in the UK and had to bring some home from my trip to New York. My latest addition to the condiment collection came from the Cayman Islands: “Big Black Dick hot grillin’ sauce”, which is quite exceptional, I am just waiting for the first BBQ evening to give it a true road test.

 

The most common of all chilli sauces is probably Thai sweet chilli, something many of us can handle without a mouthful of yogurt or a glug of milk. It is also the easiest of all chilli sauces to make, so without further ado:

 

Thai sweet chilli Sauce.

• 1Kg Red Chillies
• 3tsp salt
• 4tbsp sugar
• 180ml Rice Wine Vinegar

 

Roughly chop the chillies and put in a saucepan with 100ml of water, cover and bring to the boil.

Once the chillies are tender add the remaining ingredients. Once the sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool.

Put the mixture into a blender and blend till smooth. Will keep for up to a month in the fridge. A very versatile sauce, use it as a base for stir-fries or simply for dipping!

 

As I prepare myself for six months in the woods and the prospect of not getting my Capsaicin fix (unless the chillies I grow work out), I am not looking forward to going cold turkey in the woods. Perhaps I could smuggle down a couple of bottles of Tabasco? After all it is only my conscience I have to deal with….

 

Barbecue me! I want one...

I have just been playing on the internet and have come across some cunning little devices with which to pass the summer. I just had to point these out to you guys as I cannot wait to get my hands on one, no longer will I have to lug around a large steel grill in my fishing bag! to purchase visit The portable barbecue. Check out www.iwantoneofthose.com for purchasing.

The Grilliput. (above)

Not sure about the name, it has to be American. But a handy little device I am sure you will agree. At 29cm long and 2.2cm wide when closed it opens up into a 23x26cm BBQ. This has to be the ultimate in hunter-gatherer cool and it makes me wonder if Ray has one? If not, he always has his sticks or even some rocks to heat up for an underground oven. It has a surface area allowing 560g of food to sizzle on its surface and is even dishwasher friendly, shame as I don’t have one it could be friendly with, but hand washing is still the best!

Cost- £24.99

The portable barbecue.

Not quite an original name as before but a superb product all the same, comes in two styles. I think as far as the city dweller goes not only will you look the cutting edge of bbq technology when meeting friends in the park, but you will probably get a pat on the back from the park keeper for not trashing the grass. I have seen many an Aussie or South African leaving those big burnt patches when their not behind the bar and its not a pretty sight. Made from thin pressed steel and comes with a nice shoulder bag to carry it. Amazing!

Cost
Fold flat- £19.95
Carry and go briefcase bbq- £24.95

All pictures and prices coutesy of www.iwantoneofthose.com

Tabasco & Worcester sauce: Two of man’s finest achievements.

I doubt there is an adult in the world who has never tasted these two fantastic creations. Where would we be without them? Oysters would not benefit from the piquant hit of Tabasco, cheese toasties wouldn’t be the mouth-watering adventure Lea & Perrins have made it, and no bloody marys that’s as damn sure as mustard. Without these two condiments life would be dull, of course we would no doubt have an alternative, but that doesn’t bare thinking about. School followed by University is often when we have the values of these sauces bestowed upon us and I for one began my affair with them early, an affair that will certainly last forever.
Tabasco:
I always presumed it was from Mexico…its not. As it says on the bottle it is from Avery Island in Louisiana. It was developed by a genius called Edmund McIlhenny in 1870. Legend has it he obtained some hot pepper seeds from a traveler who had recently arrived in Louisiana from Central America. He then began experimenting with sauces and came up with the winning formula. On how it is manufactured according to the Tabasco website:

“It's still made from tabasco pepper mash that's been aged up to 3 years in oak barrels, mixed with high-grain all-natural vinegar and a small amount of Avery Island salt. This unique aging process delivers unmatched concentration and piquancy - not just heat or bite.”
TABASCO®

Even the bottle is unique as young Edmund originally bottled the sauce in old cologne bottles, which are the same design now, this is the reason it comes out in drops.
So there you have it, a few facts about the little sauce we all love so much.

Worcester sauce:
The base ingredient of this sauce which many do not realise is anchovies. Again, a great story behind this one too, according to the history books this sauce began in the 1800’s. Lord Sandys, a nobleman, arrived back from Bengal with a recipe he had got his hands on, he passed it on to two chemists John Lea and William Perrins in the hope that they could put it together. They did and found it disgusting, so they put the bottles of sauce aside somewhere deep in their cellar. A few years later they were having a clean out and came across the bottles. They had a quick taste before chucking them and were amazed at the flavour, which had developed from maturing. It was bottled and sold and the rest as they say is history.

These two sauces are so versatile and can be used in just about anything, its all a case of personal preference. I like to have Tabasco, lime and salt & pepper with my avocado- amazing! But a good partnership of these two is formed in a fantastic warm drink I often take with when night fishing; the Bullshot.

Bullshot:
1 pint of good quality beef stock
100ml of Vodka (or more if you like!)
a few dashes of Tabasco
a few dashes of Worcester sauce
a dash of bitters
salt & pepper.

Serve warm and add as much Tabasco as you can take! This drink really does create a lovely warming effect and the only contender is maybe a hot toddy. My final word on these two sauces is to say if someone doesn’t have one of these two in their store cupboard…I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them!

Caveman cooking: The Stone Grill.

I don’t know about you, but one thing that always seems to excite me when I visit a restaurant, is being able to have a hands on approach to the preparation of your meal. In most cases cooking it yourself. Our European counterparts are big fans of this, it is unlikely you would visit the Alps and not partake in a cheese fondue, fondue chinoise (thin slices of beef cooked in a stock or oil) or a cheese raclette.
This type of interactive dining has always been a great way of “adding value” to a meal out and has been hijacked by an Australian company StonegrillTM who sell there concept to restaurants worldwide along with their specialised oven for heating the stones.

I was lucky enough to enjoy this unique dining experience in a little mountain restaurant whilst out in Switzerland. But first, a little on the concept behind hot stone cooking.
My first experience with cooking on stone consisted of making a fire between to large, flat topped rocks and resting a thick, tray size piece of slate over the fire on the rocks. My brother and I then proceeded to cook eggs, bacon, sausages and tomatoes on it. The only problem was that slate will eventually crack and can only be used a dozen times if that.

Cooking with stones has been utilised in the past by ancient Egyptians, Vikings and in Mesolithic Britain (8,000 years before present). Quite often hard, volcanic stones would be heated up on a fire for a couple of hours and then transferred into a pit next to the fire. The meat was then placed in with the stone then covered over with moss, grass and sand. This would be left for another hour and acted as a primitive oven.

Nowadays, the stone we use for cooking is still made from the same type of volcanic stone, in this case Dolomite, which is known for its high heat retention. The stones are heated up to around 400°C/752°F and then placed into a ceramic or more attractive wooden board and taken out to the table. The stone will hold its optimum cooking heat for up to 30mins. Cooking with stones is also a very healthy way of eating there is no oil used and the burning stone sears the meat instantly locking in all the natural juices. It also allows you to cook your meat as rare or well done as you would like.

The meat I had with mine with came on a big skewer and consisted of Ostrich, Beef, Deer and lamb. Each meat was delightfully tender and the difference in flavour from the rich, gamey flavour of the deer to the refreshing ostrich meat. It came served with a small Rosti, done only the way the Swiss do it.

This was certainly one of the most enjoyable meals I have had, it also was more filling than most meals and all that red meat gives you quite a heavy stomach. It also gives you the excuse to drink plenty of red wine to help break it down. I would definitely recommend giving it a go; the smell alone whilst cooking the meat is worth it alone. Your primitive instincts will take over and you may even resort to grunting as a means of conversation. The ultimate caveman dining experience!

If you fancy buying it yourself you can go to www.stonegrills.co.uk and can purchase a kit for around £30, or you can visit the Beluga Café in the London Docklands.