Make this red-flecked, heat-infused syrup, leave to cool and pour over vanilla or chocolate ice cream (opinions are divided in my household over which provides the more fabulous combination) and feel the sun flare up inside you. OK, so it sounds odd, but the heat from the chilli is more of a peppery, spicy warmth than savoury kick. It’s not that different from the sweet heat of crystallised ginger, come to think of it, which is itself glorious heaped over a pale mounding of vanilla ice cream.
250g caster sugar
250ml water
1 long red fresh chilli, unseeded and very finely chopped
Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and dissolve the sugar over a gentle heat. Then turn up the heat and bring to the boil and let bubble for 15 minutes or so until the liquid’s reduced and you have a clear viscous syrup. When it’s ready it should give the back of a wooden spoon a sticky glossy coating when you dip it in, but do not stir at any stage in the proceedings, or the syrup will crystallise.
Take off the heat and tip in the chilli, swirl (but again, do not stir) then pour into a glass jug to cool slightly, and then the syrup, now coral-tinted from the chilli, can be stirred so that the red flecks are distributed throughout, rather than just being suspended on the top.
You can keep this syrup in a tightly lidded glass jar till you need to use it. Should it set too hard, just stand the jar in a bowl of warm water to loosen up a little.
Makes enough for about 12 bowls of ice cream.