Seriously, folks, can anyone honestly say they wouldn’t be taken aback when they saw these 3 words together on a condiment label: chipotle; miso; gravy. It’s hard enough just getting past the concept of a miso gravy, but Chipotle Miso Gravy? You don’t have to look any further than the Asian section of our own Village Food Mart.

But before going any further with this discussion I must either clarify the correct pronunciation of the word “chipotle” or possibly leave you even more confused. Of the several acceptable pronunciations of this word, the one that I have always used is not one! Thank heavens it isn’t a word that comes up in conversation often.  The most common two pronunciations are chee-poht-lay or chih-poht-lay. I have been saying: chih-poh-til forever and no one has corrected me! How embarrassing. A simple little accent ague sure wouldn’t have hurt!

The chipotle pepper is simply a ripened jalapeno that has been smoked to dry.  As with most of the chilli pepper family, the jalapeno comes from tropical and subtropical countries like Mexico and the Caribbean. From the times of the Aztecs, the pepper was dried by smoking to prevent it from moulding. The fact that smoking altered and improved the flavour of the pepper was purely coincidental. While smoking does not affect the heat of the pepper, it adds a rich, sweet, meaty flavour that is used extensively in all aspects of Mexican and Southwestern cooking.

It wasn’t until the insurgence of that whole Tex-Mex craze sometime in the ‘70s, that anyone north of Texas became aware of this delicious, new smoky flavour. Along with the fajitas, enchiladas, salsas, and moles, we began to realize that hot peppers came in more than just the canned, green rings used on nachos or the rainbow-coloured banana peppers rings on pizzas.

Unfortunately, the Tex-Mex period also brought with it those over-sized servings of corn niblets, Spanish rice, and re-fried beans, served along side over-stuffed tortilla shells filled with…more corn, rice, and beans; by no stretch of imagination a well-balanced diet. But once the dust settled, and Tex-Mex, or just plain Mexican foods were left again to those who really new what they were doing, we were left with some mighty tasty foods, from caramelized pear and brie quesadilla to wild mushroom enchiladas, and a cornucopia of different hot peppers.

“Smoke” has always been a favourite flavour in our diets—smoked oysters and salmon, smokehouse almonds and hickory potato sticks, bacon and smokies, BBQ sauces and cheeses, and let’s not forget the toasted marshmallow! (Well, maybe the marshmallows are a stretch!) Generally, this has been a hickory smoked flavour, sweet and nutty, sometimes added as “liquid smoke.” Chipotle adds much of that same flavour, but with added heat as well.

You can find chipotle peppers in 3 ways: dried whole; powdered; and the most popular, canned in adobo sauce.  Adobo sauce is a tomato and vinegar sauce, much like ketchup, but don’t throw it out, it has the heat of the peppers and can be added to any recipe. Unless you have a cast iron stomach, it is unlikely you will use an entire tin of chipotle at one time, but the peppers can be kept in a jar in the fridge for several weeks, and if this is still too short a period, they can be frozen. Dried peppers need to be soaked and trimmed, removing the seeds, before they can be used in most recipes.

The simplest way to use the peppers, and one common on many restaurant menus today, is a chipotle mayo, hold the miso! Actually, the Chipotle Miso Gravy turned out to be extremely yummy on chicken wraps and made a fabulous marinade for barbecued chicken breasts. Prepared mayo (or your own) can be seasoned with a small amount of crushed chipotle in adobo plus a little lime juice. The pepper is medium hot, so it is wise at the beginning to add a small amount, trying only half a pepper at first, and then adjust to taste. Before mashing the pepper, remove the seeds which can be extra hot but also often bitter.

Chipotle’s rich, smoky flavour is especially wonderful on vegetable or tofu sandwiches as it adds a “meatier” and more satiating flavour. The chipotle smokiness and heat is a natural for egg and cheese dishes, but will be worth a try for any meat stew or seafood chowder.  Hmmm! Maybe a secret ingredient to consider for this year’s Chowder Cook-off?

It is also not uncommon to find recipes for chocolate cakes and corn breads that include chipotle, and I have been using it in my hummus lately. Boy, talk about fusion!

Like all hot peppers, the heat of the chipotle is caused by capsaicin which has been shown to have positive effects on blood cholesterol, as well as induce endorphin production which leaves one with a sense of well-being. That seems as good a reason as any to drink chipotle-seasoned Bloody Caesars. McIlhenny has for a long time now had a “Smoked” Tabasco sauce made with Chipotle. It quickly became my favourite seasoning for all spicy dishes (and Caesars!)

I haven’t tried this one yet, but I have been hanging onto a recipe for a dry rub for meats that is made of cumin, coriander, fennel, ground chipotle, and unsweetened cocoa powder. I just now realized that this sounds like mole sauce, which doesn’t sound like “hole,” which should have been my first clue as to how the word “chipotle” should be pronounced!