Calibrating Chilli Heat

A bold-flavoured chilli dish is won by holding the heat in check, not chasing it. Deseed the chillies first — most of the punch sits in the seeds and white pith — then build the heat up gradually, tasting as you go, so the warmth reads as present without flattening the other flavours. Here the goal is heat that sits behind the smoky paprika and the sweetness of the orange rather than burying them. Think of chilli heat as a dial, not a switch: you can always add more, but you can't take it back out once the sauce is blended.