Foodandthefabulous

Ostrich Chilli Con Carne with Bacon and Semolina Bread Topping

This recipe is one I’ve always wanted to make – ever since I watched Nigella Lawson, all tight-fitting baby blue sweater, super shiny locks and glossy pink pout purring about it years ago. Was I still at Varsity then or out, I can’t remember. But I do remember the heartiness of this chilli con carne. It was all about abundance and sharing – a huge one-pot meal to devour with friends and family who would appreciate this type of communal serving vessel on a cold, blustery evening.

It’s 30 degrees here in Lisbon. And while we are sucking on ice cubes and taking walks in the park for gelato with the families in Estrela at 10 pm (yip, you read right), I’m thinking about our friends and family at home in South Africa. Cape Town, my weather app says, is 10 degrees Celsius and was swept in torrential downpour yesterday. I know those winter days all too well. It’s polar fleece p.js (the type you hope not to be found in if you die by some dumb accident of your own doing) weather, it’s fireplace and Shiraz or Merlot weather. It’s hot chocolate and electric blanket weather – hopefully, again, not stupidly mixed together.

So, for you friends in the Southern hemisphere, something I prepared on a rainy Cape Town day – an ostrich and bacon chilli con carne, enlivened with cinnamon and cacao, chilli and chocolate chipotle sauce (a gift sitting in my cupboard from Hotel Chocolat, a sponsor of the Plate to Page Weimar workshop I attended). I used semolina for the bread topping, also adapted from Nigella’s recipe.

In energy saving news, and by energy I mean yours, and mine – just one cooking vessel and one bowl are used. This is, if anything, a huge swaying factor in my books.

Enjoy this hearty, spicy con carne! The left overs taste even deeper and more complex – read: better (remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom after the bread is done – can be over-powering if left in for too long). Oh, and adjust the chilli to your preference, death by chilli would also qualify as a “dumb” look.

For this South African Spin on the Chilli Con Carne, visit Food and the Fabulous

As Nigella advises, you can make the chilli the night before and allow to cool or make the entire lot in one go. If you cool the chilli considerably, heat up again to warm not hot before you add bread topping or, increase the oven baking time by 4-5 minutes. All will depend on your oven’s temperature and how soon the bread takes to bake.