Roger's Revengeful Ruby

As some of you may know, the TwinnyDip ran a competition requesting for new recipe ideas at the launch party in October 2013. We have had great responses, including Ginny's Ginger Joy, Seb's Zesty Zorba, Seb's Savoury Squash, Nadir's Mango Masala Madness, and James' Bacon and Caramel Delight! In the end, it was Roger's Revengeful Ruby that really caught our attention. Absolutely great name, and there is literally no mention of food whatsoever in the name, which made the joy of interpretation entirely ours.

There was no question to the Revengeful part, chili was the first thing that sprang to mind. Ruby took a bit of time. Initial brainstorming pointed towards Ruby Red-branded grapefruit, but we decided to opt for ruby colour - and settled with strawberry (strawberry is a crowd-pleaser whereas grapefruit can be tricky / risky!).

Once the base was chosen, the rest came quickly. We needed something cool to counter the heat - mint. Then the rum, then the lime... hhmmm this instantly turns into a spicy but tasty daiquiri!

Enough said - recipe is included below after the notes on jam setting point test. And don't forget to stir frequently in steps 3 and 4 but try to avoid breaking the strawberry pieces.Serve it with scone and clotted cream to give the traditional English tea a twist, or simply a piece of toast!

Jam setting point test

Before you start making the jam, place 2 - 3 small plates in the freezer. In step 4 after cooking the jam sufficiently, remove the pan from heat. Drop a tsp of jam on to one of the chilled plates. Let it cool at room temperature for 15 seconds, then push it with your finger. If a crinkly skin forms, the jam is set. If not, cook it further at medium heat and test again until the jam as reached setting point.

INGREDIENTS

800g fresh, strawberries, washed and hulled (or raspberries)

90ml lime juice

2 bird's eye chili, seeds part or entirely removed, chopped

45ml white rum

1 pack or 7g powder pectin

750g preserving or jam sugar

A large handful of mint, leaves only, chopped

7 - 8 0.25L jam jars (or jars of other sizes with equivalent aggregated volume)

Extra bird's eye chili for decoration

Extra mint sprigs for decoration

DIRECTION

1. Prepare preserve jars using your preferred method (we prefer sterlising the jars in the oven).

2. Cut the strawberries into uniform sizes for a 'consistent' look. If they are really ripe, soak them in a bowl of cold water with 1 - 2 tbsp of icing sugar for at least 10 minutes to 'firm' them up. Drain the strawberries just before cooking.

3. In a large saucepan, heat strawberries, lime juice and chopped chili for 5 minutes. Add rum, bring it to boil and heat for a further 4 - 5 minutes.

4. Add the sugar. Bring it to boil and heat it for 10 minutes. Add the pectin. Continue to heat at medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes or until the jam has reach setting point (see text at top for test).

5. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam, then stirred in the chopped mint. Let stand for 2 - 3 minutes.

6. Decorate each jam jar with a whole chili and a sprig of mint if desire. Ladle hot jam into sterilised jars. Wipe rim and seal the jars with the lid.

7. Place the sealed jam jars in a hot bath for five minutes. Add label with name and date, if desire.