Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Lemongrass-Kaffir Lime Leaf-Pepper Jelly









Thai-style sweet chili sauce is a pleasing accompaniment to fried foods such as stuffed chicken wings and spring rolls. The combination of heat and sweetness along with the sharp twang of vinegar in the background really sparks the taste buds. I wanted to come up with a jelly that would make someone think of Southeast Asia when tasting it. I didn't want something that was merely incendiary hot; I wanted something more nuanced.

The method and ingredients for making pepper jelly differ little from those for making a Thai-style sweet chili sauce. The basic ingredients are chilies, vinegar, and sugar. Puree, boil, and steep. For the jelly I strained the solids and added pectin to make the liquid jell.

The jelly can be served on a cracker with cream cheese or brie. It could also be used as a glaze to grilled pork or chicken. Heated, it liquefies and could be used as a dip for stuffed chicken wings, or crab rangoons that Wandering Chopsticks posted about recently.

Lemongrass-Kaffir Lime Leaf-Pepper Jelly
2 or 3 stalks of lemongrass, pale whitish part only, bruised and sliced
6 to 8 kaffir lime leaves, julienned
1/2 cup red jalapenos, or other chilies of your choice (I chose jalapenos because they provide a nice amount of heat but aren't overwhelming), chopped
3/4 cup vinegar
3 cups white sugar
1 3 ounce package of liquid pectin


Mix lemongrass slices, lime leaves, chilies, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Heat and stir. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Using a blender or immersion blender, puree cooled mixture. Let sit for half an hour or so. Strain solids out using a sieve. Bring liquid to a boil and simmer five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in liquid pectin. Pour warm liquid into warm sterilized jars. Process in boiling water for five minutes. Makes 3 half-pint jars.
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11 comments:

  1. Before I go batty over how unique and delicious sounding that jelly is, may I say your photos are stunning? The idea of lemongrass paired with kaffir lime and hot chiles in a jelly, is mind blowing! SO creative and it looks amazing!

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  2. Lisa Michelle,
    Thanks. I love the taste of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, have plenty of each in our back yard, so just tried to put a twist on the standard pepper jelly. Getting a good photo is always such a struggle, so thanks for the compliments.

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  3. This jelly is great as spread on sliced cold cuts or as dip for keropoek! yummmy! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

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  4. Pixen,
    I had been thinking it might work in a sandwich with grilled pears, arugula and prosciutto.

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  5. great looking flavors in a jelly no less!

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  6. Ravenous Couple,
    Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I'm a big admirer of your blog--wonderful recipes with beautiful photos and a very clean layout. As for lemongrass, kaffir lime and peppers--what's not to like?

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  7. do you chop the peppers and then measure them?

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  8. Kris,
    Yes, but this is not critical. You could measure them before chopping. If chopped, you'll end up with a little more, so a little more heat.

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  9. Great recipe! Using it as wedding gift to my guests... that means I will be making a lot of it! Question for you: how long do you think it will last in the fridge? Done any tests? Thanks!

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  10. Christina,
    First, congratulations! It will keep in the fridge a long time. I had an open jar for at least six months or so and it was fine. I hope your guests enjoy it. It's very nice with cream cheese on crackers.

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  11. Looks fab - thanks for popping over and linking it in. Cheers

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