TRADER VIC’S BONGO BONGO SOUP

For 4-6 starter portions, it’s quite rich. Saute

2 thinly sliced medium white- fleshed onions, 2 cloves sliced garlic and ¼ finely chopped scotch bonnet chilli (wear gloves — they’re fierce) in sunflower oil or butter until completely collapsed and softened, without colouring. It’ll take 12-15 minutes cooking, stirring occasionally. Add 400ml coconut cream or coconut milk and 300ml fish or chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer 5 minutes. Add 500g washed spinach (shred if large leaves) and simmer 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 16-24 oysters (depending on how generous you feel) and any juices (if they’ve come from a pottle) and simmer another 4 minutes. Use a stick blender to puree smooth, or carefully puree in a bar-blender in batches. Don’t overfill the blender because the hot liquid will explode all over you and the kitchen. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. You could make this without the chilli as I first had it made for me, but I have to say the background flavour and heat adds something that would be hard to replicate with any other spice.

are fiercely hot but, combined with the flavoursome flesh, they offer a marvellous combo in dishes like chunky tomato soups and tamarind ginger ketchups, a rustic chicken, chickpea and plantain stew, as well as the adding an intriguing and key flavour to a creamy pureed spinach and oyster soup. This soup, which might well be considered a newish classic, is titled Trader Vic’s Bongo Bongo Soup. I first ate a bowl of it in Wellington back in the 80s, cooked by friends at a dinner party one night. They didn’t add the chillies, but I have since many times as the flavour goes incredibly well with pureed oysters and spinach, and I replace the classic cream and milk with coconut cream. To get you on to the chilli-lovingwagon, perhaps you could try making recipes with minuscule amounts of chilli/paprika/cayenne etc, added, and then slowly increase.

Or perhaps we could challenge Robert to convert you with some of his creations, because once you get hooked, chillies really do become addictive!