SALT ALTERNATIVES FOR COOKING RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Cut the potatoes into chunky chips or wedges. Tip into a pan, top up with cold water and bring to a boil. As soon as you see bubbles, simmer gently for 5 mins. Drain carefully and leave to steam dry.
• Meanwhile, heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a shallow-lipped baking tray in the top of the oven. Transfer the parboiled chips to the tray, carefully coat in the hot oil and cook for 20-25 mins until golden and crisp, turning halfway through.
• While the chips are cooking, toast the peppercorns in a wok or large frying pan for a few mins, then transfer to a pestle and mortar and crush. Heat the remaining in the pan and stir-fry the onion, peppers, garlic and chilli for 5-8 mins over a medium-high heat until the onions and garlic turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Mix the Chinese five-spice powder, sugar, salt, chilli flakes and ground peppercorns together. Tip the cooked chips into the pan with the veg and return to a medium heat. Toss to combine. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper mixture and the spring onions. Toss everything together for 1-2 mins until evenly coated, then serve straight away with another pinch of sea salt, if you like.

Steps:

• Make the chile paste: Add all the dried chiles to a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened and giving off an intense roasted aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn down the heat if they begin to smoke. Add 1 cup water; it should immediately boil. Reduce heat so water barely simmers, and cook until chiles have softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender and blend at high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, until a completely smooth purée is formed, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Prepare the chili: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the vegan ground meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until fat has mostly rendered and it is starting to sizzle rather than steam, about 10 minutes. (I don’t mind leaving the rendered fat in the chili. It homogenizes as the chili reduces, so the end result should not be greasy. However, you can drain the mixture at this point if you prefer less fat in the finished chili.)
• Add the onion, garlic, oregano and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chipotles, cumin and reserved chile paste, and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste reduces to the point that it starts to sizzle and fry, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently until homogenous, about 1 minute.
• Add chopped canned tomatoes and scrape up any brown bits that have stuck to the pan. Add kidney beans, soy sauce and 1 cup water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors have developed and chili is thickened to desired consistency, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar and liquor, if using. Adjust texture by adding water, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with whatever garnishes you like.