How to prepare Mexican chillies

Dried chiles are an essential part of Mexican cuisine, they need to be toasted and re hydrated to release their flavour. At Cool Chile we stock 11 varieties of Mexican dried chiles which vary in heat and flavour. If you have a wrinkly-skinned or smooth skinned chile, follow the instructions below to achieve a rich and silky puree.

Method

Wrinkly-skinned

Chile Ancho, Chile Mulato, Chile Pasilla, Chile Pasilla de Oaxaca, Chile Habanero and Chile Chipolte.

Smooth-skinned

Chile Guajillo, Chile De Arbol, Chile Cascabel, Chile New Mexican Red and Chile Piquin.

1. Wipe clean and remove stems and seeds.
2. Open out flat and toast briefly in a dry pan on a medium heat until fragrant, then soak in just boiled water for 15 minutes.
3. If using wrinkly chiles, drain and blend to a paste with a splash of water before using.
4. If using smooth chiles, strain and blend to a paste with a splash of water, then strain through a sieve before using.
5. If using a combination of wrinkly and smooth-skinned chiles, follow step 4.