Chocolate Rocky Road

8 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolatefrac12; fresh red chili pepper, seeded and diced1 heaping cup mixed unsalted nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios or pecans 1 tablespoon sunflower or pumpkin seedsfrac34; cup mixed dried fruit, such as golden raisins, dried mango, dried sour cherries or cranberries (chop the larger bits)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Smash up the chocolate, and melt it in a heatproof glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the bowl doesn't touch the water. Once the chocolate is smooth and melted, remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, put the chili on a cookie sheet with the nuts and seeds. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the nuts are toasted and shiny. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then roughly chop everything together and mix in a bowl with the dried fruit.

Reserve a large handful of the fruit-and-nut mixture, and tip the rest into the bowl of chocolate. Stir well until everything is completely coated. Spoon the chocolate mixture on the prepared baking sheet, using the back of a spoon to smooth it out to the sides. Sprinkle the reserved fruit-and-nut mixture over the top, and leave in a cool place or in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

Once set, smash into farily large chunks (12 or so) and pile on a serving plate. Lovely with a cup of coffee, or even finely bashed up over good-quality vanilla ice cream. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

Serves 12.

#8220;Jamie's America#8221; by Jamie Oliver (2010 Hyperion)