Chilli chips and chipotle mayo

Tam West

When catering for a party, it’s nice to offer a few moreish treats that don’t contain either meat or fish. These chilli chips can be flavoured with any fresh herbs or other spices of your choice and can be made and cut the day before.

Chipotle are smoked red jalapeno chillies that can be found in a variety of useful forms, either as a made up sauce, or in cans in adobo tomato sauce, or dried as a ground flake or powdered spice. All of these can be used to flavour the mayonnaise. Just remember to taste for the heat level first, and use with caution.

Chilli chips

500 ml	Water
500 ml	Milk
2 tsp	Fine salt
150 g	Instant polenta, plus extra for dusting (Main)
1 tsp	Dried chilli flakes, use up to 2 tsp, according to taste
25 g	Parmesan cheese
2	Eggs
1 scoop	Flour, for dusting
1 bottle	Vegetable oil, for frying

Chipotle mayo

1 cup	Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp	Chipotle sauce, use up to 3 Tbsp; or use chopped chipotles or 1-2 tsp chipotle powder
2 tsp	Lemon juice
3 Tbsp	Chopped coriander

Directions

To make the chips

1. In a pot bring the water, milk and salt to the boil. Add the polenta and whisk continuously until it is all combined, then bring back to boiling.
2. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking every few minutes. Add the chilli and parmesan then pour into a 20x30cm tray lined with plastic wrap. Allow to cool and set in the fridge.
3. Cut into chips, dust with flour, whisk the eggs then dip the chips in the egg wash and then into the polenta. Place on a paper towel and in the fridge ready to cook.
4. Fry the chips in hot oil until golden, drain on paper towels, season with salt and serve with chipotle mayo, below.

To make the chipotle mayo

Mix all ingredients together, season with salt to taste.

More party nibbles from Geoff

• Beer glazed pork belly
• Barbecue king prawns