valli little's hot chilli

I love making chilli. I love the variety of recipes, I love the lengthy stewing time (and it's associated opportunities to dip in bread whilst it ticks away), I love the flavour and the fact you can make sandwiches out of it - although don't tell Ana the latter point.

However school nights are not the right forum for a two-hour stew, so sometimes you need to go with a super-quick version, and Valli Little's is the best-est: It's got a lot of surprising herbs, punchy spice and that great sweet-umami combination of dark chocolate. Plus a slice of avocado so you can pretend you're eating salad.

I love it!

Wine Time
Chilli really needs a brewski, and I think a rick, chocolately Porter or a dark hoppy Ale would be much classier. If you're desperate for wine, you need to avoid tannins which will react badly with the spice, so look for something light, fruity and with a bit of sweetness. Beaujolais would work well, or a Spanish red (not Rioja), or even a Carmenere which whilst not sweet, is fruity and generally goes very well with curry, so y'know, I'm just saying...


sources
rich chilli beef with fresh avocado - Valli Little, Delicious circa 2005/6, now The Skull Book