Making a great chilli requires time, patience and imagination. It is not the occasion to stick slavishly to a recipe but rather to think of your cooking pot as a cauldron of dark, smoky-sweet, carnal alchemy. When I conjur up a chilli my aim to achieve shifting layers of texture, taste and sensation. No two chillis are ever quite the same, nor should they be, and so any recipe must be taken as a jumping off point for leisurely enjoyment and experimentation in the kitchen. This is my family recipe, but its up to you...