I'm a huge fan of spicy Calabrian peppers -- small, wholes red peppers on the stem that come packed in oil, ready to serve with pizza or salumi. I always ask for some when I go to No. 246 in Decatur and Antico Pizza Napoletana on the Westside.
Every year around this time, I always seem to end up with an overactive spicy pepper plant in my vegetable garden filled with little red pods. I'm bad: I'll use a couple in cooking, maybe let some dry on the counter, but all too often I just leave them on the plant.
I had a "duh" moment and got busy cooking.
Credit: John Kessler
Credit: John Kessler
I picked the peppers, rinsed them off and put them in a small saucepan with a couple cloves of peeled garlic and just enough olive oil to cover. Recalling my third-grade paper valentine skills, I cut a circle of parchment paper to cover the peppers as they simmered over the lowest possible heat for about 90 minutes.
Into a jar it all went -- the peppers, the garlic and the elixir-like oil. These were dead ringers for Calabrian chilies. I'm keeping them in the fridge.
May have to put in a couple more pepper plants next year.
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