Calabrian-Style Chiles

Living a short walk down the street from a well-stocked market is a blessed thing. For two years, we were very close to a place that had a dangerous combination of everyday staples, fresh produce, and tons of tasty impulse-purchase items. I developed a tinned fish habit (Angelo Parodi sardines for less than $2.50 a tin!) and was generally spoiled by an extensive cheese case, fresh pasta cut to order, a stellar butcher counter that cured its own salami and had a hot, crispy porchetta in the window every Friday, and shelf upon shelf of premium Italian dry goods.

Calabrian chiles came home with us countless times from that market. These magical chiles became a regular purchase for several reasons, most of them having to do with pizza. We had recently acquired a baking steel and the Roberta’s cookbook, so we were baking pies every other week. Plus, we were regulars at a pizza place that offered a side of chopped up Calabrian chiles on the menu. We always ordered them because, along with anchovies, they are the perfect post-bake pizza garnish. The chile oil they’re packed in glosses over the toppings, seasoning every bite. In fact, you can think of them as chile oil with a pickled pepper bonus. Their briny-tangy-spicy flavor pairs so well with cheese!

I developed this recipe when, in the midst of all this pizza-making, I found fresh Calabrian chiles at the farmer’s market. The store-bought jars are not exactly cheap, nor are they widely available, so after a bit of research and several attempts, this recipe was born. My source for the chiles dried up long ago, but any diminutive red chile will work. I typically go for red serranos, but cayenne varieties would do well here (the heat level will vary, obviously).

This recipe uses several preservation techniques: The peppers are salted and drained overnight, pickled, then partially dried, and “confited” in olive oil. Each step helps reduce the chance of spoilage, first by driving out moisture, then acidifying the peppers. Gently drying the peppers reduces moisture even more. I used our dehydrator here, but a low oven works just fine. Finally, submerging the peppers in olive oil protects them from oxidizing or growing molds that need air to survive. Keep in mind that, despite these steps, the peppers are still not considered shelf-stable by the USDA and must be refrigerated.

Though these delectable chiles take multiple days to prepare, once the raw peppers are slit open and seeded, there is very little labor involved. More importantly, you get three wonderful ingredients from one batch of peppers: chile-infused vinegar, chile-infused olive oil, and the chiles themselves.
The briny, chile-infused vinegar can be used as you would any hot sauce. It’s especially good sprinkled on cooked greens. You could certainly bring it to a boil and use it to quick-pickle other vegetables. The chile-infused olive oil is great for bread dipping or marinating vegetables and cheese. Whole or roughly chopped chiles are superb for topping pizzas, but they’re also great for giving heat to a dish—we’ll frequently chop up a few and add them to Utica greens (find our recipe on page 234 of the 2019 edition). They also work well as a topping for pasta dishes. If you process them into a chunky purée, the resulting paste is perfect for smearing on sandwich bread.

Don’t be dissuaded by the multi-day prep time! Try this once and we are confident you will be doing it every year.