Dried ghost peppers are the dried, waterless versions of Bhut Jolokia peppers, the hottest chili peppers in the world. These are obtained more often than fresh pods, and that’s why most people are more familiar with the ghost pepper in this form. If you’re wondering what kinds of food can be made with its extremely spicy flavor of more than a million Scoville units, here are some examples:
1. Ghost Pepper Burgers
Place a whole pound of lean ground beef in a bowl and mix with finely chopped batches of ¼ cup of onion half a piece of dried ghost pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and 1 clove of garlic to add a variety of flavors the intense heat. Shape the mixture into 4 burgers and grill over medium heat. Best served with burger buns, sour cream (to cool the mouth), barbeque sauce and 2 layers of American cheese.
2. Ghost Pepper Salsa
Re-hydrate the dried peppers into a bowl of water and let it rest in the fridge overnight. Pick out the softer ghost pepper pods and puree them in garlic, salt, water, tomatoes and mint. Serve this chilled with nachos or tacos for the gastronomic daredevils.
3. Ghost Pepper Oil
Preheat oven to 225oF then
Cut a whole piece of dried ghost pepper in half and place it in an oven-safe dish with ¾ cups of extra virgin olive oil, 2 and ¼ cups of canola oil and a dash of salt. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 3 hours. Upon removal from the oven, transfer the contents to an airtight container and let it sit in the fridge for whole month. This serves 3 cups of ghost pepper oil that you can use for cooking or garnishing.
4. Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
Finely chop a batch of dried ghost peppers with garlic, red bell pepper, carrots and a teaspoon of sugar. Simmer the mixture with vinegar and pepper and toss everything a food processor or blender until it is liquefied. Place the mixture in a jar, and enjoy your devilishly spicy ghost pepper hot sauce on burgers, steaks, hotdogs.
Before physically performing these simple ghost pepper recipes, remember to cover your hands while handling the dried peppers. You wouldn’t want something that resembles the taste of hell get near your eyes wouldn’t you? With proper preparation and the right amount of tolerance (or a stomach made of steel), these dried ghost pepper recipes are sure to give your daily menu a delectable twist.
