Chillies in a garlic and cheese sauce

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Try this as a starter or a dip to serve with drinks. Plain tortilla chips or toasted pitta strips make a great dip for this dish. Make your own tortilla chips if you have the time.

Ingredients

• 4 fresh green chillies
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 fat cloves of Garlic
• 250 g strong cheddar cheese, grated
• 250 g Jarlsberg cheese or Gruyere cheese, grated
• 50 ml sour cream
• 150 ml double cream
• 2 large fresh tomatoes
• 15 ml Tequila

to serve

• Plain tortilla chips or pitta strips

Mise en place

• Scorch the tomatoes and chillies and peel them using the technique shown here (for red peppers)

Method

1. Rub the skins off the tomatoes and chillies - use rubber gloves if your skin is sensitive and don't run your eyes!
2. Slice the tomatoes and chillies and scoop out and discard the seeds
3. Cut the chillies and tomatoes into thin strips
4. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the garlic and onions for 5 minutes until soft
5. Turn down the heat and add the cheese, sour and double cream and stir until the cheese has melted and combined.
6. Just before serving, mix in the tequila and add the tomato and chilli strips.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Try and use plain, unsalted tortilla chips as most commercial tortilla chips are coated with a disgusting powder that purports to be flavouring, which masks the delicious corn flavour. If you do,find them, let me know where you get them from!

Variations

Powder ¼ teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkle onto the surface before serving.

Sprinkle a little home-made Tex-Mex seasoning on the surface.