Controne Hot Pepper from Michele Ferrente
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$15.95
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Controne Hot Pepper is a wonderful ground chile from the town of the same name in Campania, where they like things spicy! The eponymous pepper is harvested at full maturity, when it's blazing red and plenty hot. The peppers are hung to dry near a wood-burning oven in the Ferrante family's bakery, where the moisture very slowly evaporates. When the peppers are completely dry, they're hand-ground to a fine powder and packed into jars.
Since it's finely ground, Controne pepper makes an excellent finishing seasoning. We love it sprinkled over burrata or fresh mozzarella. It's also great over slices of raw fish along with flaky salt and a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil. Try the same with beef carpaccio: Pound a thinly sliced piece of top round paper-thin, season with salt, extra virgin olive oil, Controne Hot Pepper and a handful of arugula.
In Campania, they love their pasta, and this ground chile is a perfect way to zip up your arrabbiata sauce or spaghetti aglio e olio. The tingly heat is also a great foil to the creaminess of stewed heirloom beans.
I have a Chef John recipe that calls for Aleppo peppers. Is Controne the same? Could it be a better substitute than red pepper flakes since I don't have Aleppo?
Hi Lash,
Great question! Controne Hot Pepper is spicier than Aleppo pepper and won't have quite the same warm, fruity heat. However, it is delicious and while you could still use it for your recipe, you may want to consider using less and tasting as you go because of its spicier nature. We have Crushed Aleppo Pepper available if you decide to stay true to the recipe. It's also an extremely versatile spice that I'm sure you will find many uses for! https://www.markethallfoods.com/collections/herbs-and-spices/products/aleppo-pepper-crushed
I enjoy the Controne pepper a lot. It gives an extra layer of flavor to food that just needs a little pick up. But, be careful, a little bit goes a long way.
This hot pepper is definitely a go-to in our house. The text suggests sprinkling it on last, but it is great in cooking. My favorite is to cube sweet potatoes or yams, put on a little olive oil, and toss the cubes with a half-teaspoon of this pepper plus salt. Bake at 350°F until soft & browned, and you have an amazing mix of creamy sweet potato and spicy mellow hot. This is way better than putting more sweet things on sweet potatoes, by the way.