Chicken fajitas with tomato chilli jam

Ready in 40 minutes Serves 4

Sauce makes 1½ cups

400g chicken stir-fry or sliced chicken thighs

2 onions, halved and cut into very thin wedges

2 red peppers, finely sliced

3 Tbsp Mexican spice mix

2 Tbsp neutral oil

SMOKY TOMATO & CHILLI JAM

450g tomatoes, cored and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeds and pith removed, diced

1 long red chilli, seeds and pith removed, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp canned chipotles in adobo

½ tsp salt

TO SERVE

8 corn or flour tortillas, warmed Salad fixings of your choice, such as iceberg lettuce, sliced red onion and/or pickled jalapeno peppers, diced tomatoes

Sour cream, salsa, guacamole (optional)

Start by making the tomato chilli jam. Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Uncover and continue cooking for another 10–15 minutes, stirring now and then to ensure it doesn’t catch, until the mixture is reduced and saucy. While sauce simmers, combine chicken, onions, pepper slices and spice mix. Heat oil in a large heavy frying pan or on a barbecue hotplate and, working in batches if necessary, cook over a medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through (about 15 minutes).

To serve, dollop a little smoky tomato & chilli jam into a warmed tortilla. Top with chicken mixture and garnish with salad fixings and sauces.

NOTE: I often make the tomato chilli jam in this recipe in bulk, it keeps in the fridge for about a week and freezes well. It’s delicious over most everything.

Match this with ...

Abandoned Brewery Kolsch 440ml ($9) Brewed in Lower Hutt and one of the star serves in their Petone Tap Room, this kolsch absolutely fangs with these spicy fajitas. Kolsch is having a modern revival here in Godzone and, while it’s technically an ale, it also tastes crisp and lightly bitter like a pilsner and a yeasty, nutty, bready note at its core. It also has history dating back to 874AD and it’ll quickly be history once you get some of it in your gob alongside a forkful of fajita. At 4.7 per cent abv it’s an extremely sessionable style, so you may need to stock up. abandonedbrewery.co.nz

— Yvonne Lorkin