Tomato Chili Jam
Hot, Sweet and Tangy
Adapted from a recipe by Darina Allen.
- Servings: Makes about 2 cups.
This recipe was created by Darina Allen, the Irish chef and teacher who runs the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, County Cork. It was shared with me by cookbook author and editor Roy Finamore who seems to know more amazingly flavorful recipes than anyone I know.
While the recipe simply calls for chili peppers, you can use whatever you like, depending on your heat ambition and tolerance. If you're uncertain, start with jalapeños, serranos, or Thai chilies, with or without the seeds, again depending upon your taste for heat. I use 3 serranos with about 1/4 of their seeds.
Ms. Allen calls this jam "zingy," and recommends it as a partner to eggs, cold meats, chicken, or as a bruschetta with goat cheese. One bite and you'll agree -- zingy indeed, and quite fabulous.
Ingredients
- 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 2 to 4 chili peppers, sliced (with or without seeds, depending on your heat tolerance)
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped, about 2 heaping tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/3 cup cider or wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
Directions
- Drain the tomatoes, saving the juice.
- Place the chilies, garlic, and ginger into a food processor or blender and purée until a fine paste is formed, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the fish sauce and the saved juice from the tomatoes. Continue to purée for about 10 seconds more.
- Pour the mixture into a non-reactive medium saucepan. Add the drained tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar. Slowly bring to a simmer and continue to cook at a gentle simmer until thickened and jammy, about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If you want a smoother texture you can use use an immersion blender to purée the mixture until it's smooth, but leaving the jam thick and chunky is very appealing.
- Let cool and store covered and refrigerated.
