Makes 2 cups
PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOKING TIME
35 minutes
TOTAL TIME
40 minutes
10 bird’s-eye chiles, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons palm sugar(or dark brown sugar or cane sugar)
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons apple pectin
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
This is all about using old techniques to cook up new flavors. This is a spicy, syrupy West African jam that will work well as a dipping sauce for bread as a starter or a snack. We serve it with chicken liver pâté in Harlem, but you could use it as an accompaniment for any kind of grilled meat or grilled plaintains.
Puree the chiles and oil in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the sugars over medium-low heat. Heat the mixture, without stirring, until the sugar melts down to a syrup-like consistency.
Carefully add the lemon zest, chile mixture, and salt.
Slowly pour in 2 cups water while stirring and cook over medium heat to bring to a boil.
When the mixture begins to boil, quickly whisk in the pectin. Continue whisking until the pectin is completely dissolved.
Boil the jam for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, and remove from the heat to cool. The liquid will appear syrupy while it’s hot but will gel as it cools.
Allow the jam to cool down completely before adding in the scallions so that they keep their bright green color. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
CHEF JJ’S KITCHEN TIPS
If you’re unsure when the jam is ready to cool, remove the pan from the heat and place a spoonful of the jam on a chilled saucer and put it in the fridge. Wait a few minutes and check to see whether it’s begun to firm up. If it’s still runny, continue to cook the jam.