Ginsoak’s Pic-Ale-Chilli

I first heard about this amazing sounding chutney, when @ginsoak and @the_brew_co we’re talking about it, so I stuck my nose in as it sounded really interesting….next thing I know the very kind ginsoak offered me a jar of her next batch despite the_brew_co’s best attempts to snaffle it for him self. Now I have tried it I can see exactly why he didn’t want to let a jar go.

Pic-Ale-Chilli is basically ginsoaks home made version of piccalilli , it contains. Chilli and Ale – which give’s it it’s rather catchy name. I can’t remember if the chillis were home grown but I think they were, the ale used was Hop Ripper IPA which is brewed by the_brew_co.

Before I even opened the jar I was amazed by the vibrant yellow of it’s contents, it wasn’t day glo yellow like a lot of he shop bought piccalilli so it was off to a great start! The jar opened with a lovely pop then I dived straight in, scooping a huge dollop up and landing on on top of the slice of ham and cheese on my cracker.

The texture was great, lovely great big chunks of cauliflower, onion and chilli, it was also nice and sticky so it didn’t slide straight off the cracker, the chunks also gave it a really lovely crunch.

Taste wise pic-ale-chilli was out of this world, It was sweet, sour and above all had a brilliant balance of chilli flavour and heat. The onions gave it a lovely pickled sweetness and a lovely crunch. The heat didn’t hit me straight away but then I felt my tongue followed by my lips start to tingle….awesome!

My only criticism is that the jar wasn’t big enough – it is so moreish it should come in 1litre tubs. I had intended to share it with my dad but he didn’t come round in time and before I knew it the whole jar was gone….it goes really well with ham, cheese, sausages,  bacon, beef and chicken.

Chilli Up North Verdict: Simply awesome, surely the best use in the world for cauliflower. (Heat Rating: 8/10)