Is there a "safe" way to cook ghost chili?

• Dilute heavily by using a very small portion of peppers per dish
• Allow cooking time for the pepper flavor to permeate the dish before adding more. It's not like black pepper where the taste spreads instantly.
• Remove the seeds and membranes holding them, as this reduces spiciness considerably
• Cut peppers very finely or puree so there aren't any large pieces to deliver a shocker in the final dish
• Wear gloves when handling the peppers
• If you don't use gloves, wash your hands well before touching your eyes, mouth, or other "sensitive regions."
• AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY, DO NOT FRY OR SAUTE THE PEPPERS.

No, seriously. The last one is a mistake you only make once, and should be on a warning label with all store-bought chilis. The capsaicin somehow becomes volatile when heated enough, and the result is like filling your entire domicile with pepper spray.

I am ashamed to say that the last two cautions are drawn purely from personal experience. It's not the kind of "hot date" you want to share with an (un)lucky person, believe me.

The hottest part of any chilli is the membrane the holds the seeds (contrary to popular belief that says it's the seeds themselves). If you remove this, you remove a lot of the heat. So if you want to try using ghost chilli, I'd suggest A) removing the seeds and membrane and B) chopping finely, then adding a little at a time to your dish, tasting after each addition until it's just right.

I'd also recommend wearing rubber gloves while you prepare the chilli, otherwise you'll blind yourself if you happen to rub your eyes. Capsaicin stays on your hands for a surprisingly long time.

This applies regardless of what variety of chilli you are using.

I just came back from a local chili festival where I was able to taste the ghost chili for the first time. My favorite by far was a dark chocolate and toffee brittle with ghost chili. You can absolutely taste the difference between the ghost chili and habanero. I was surprised at how different the flavors are, but folks who aren't used to using different chilis may not taste the variation. Thanks for the advice, as my husband's immediate reaction was "Let's fry some up with eggs tomorrow." I thought...let's not.

I also suggest, for anyone wanting to get the heat and flavor from chilis without using what may be a chili that's too hot for them-- chili vinegar. Just pack a jar (or a bottle if you want a nice display) with as many chilis as you want, top with a mixture of red wine and apple cider vinegar, and pop it in the fridge. Let it sit for a few weeks before using it. The flavor matures with age.

Lots of folks will tell you to throw it away after 6 months. I just keep topping off the vinegar after I use more than a third of the jar and have kept different jars of pickled chilis like this for upwards of 16 months. When I feel the chilis have been hanging around too long, they become hot sauce. Use the vinegar in everything from salad dressing to marinades to sauces.

Some people will call "sacrilege" and "cheating", but I find it perfectly acceptable to use part chili part sweet peppers (bell peppers work, but I prefer the long red kapia). Adjust the ratio depending on your heat preference. It also works with chili powder and red pepper powder.

Of course, combining this with ElendilTheTall's advice for removing seeds plus membrane will give you more chili before you reach your heat limit, so I'd do it too.

I make hot pepper jam, and the sugar cuts the heat. I haven't used ghost pepper, but I have used habaneros and scotch bonnet. The recipe used is in the pectin I buy, although I chop and use the entire peppers, to make the jam hotter.

But, as others say, always use gloves when handling the peppers, and the boiling fumes when making the jam can be hard to take.

It makes a great jam for meat and tomato sandwiches, with a heat that sneaks up and slaps you.

If you use cheese and/or sour cream with your chili, that will counteract the spices in the chili. Also be sure to have a glass of ice cold milk on hand to drink. You can use acidic fruit juices like tomato or orange if you cannot have dairy. The fruit juice also counteracts the spices.

Peppers like that work best with dishes that have plenty of emulsified-in fat in the sauce - anything based on coconut milk, cream, yoghurt ... can be spiced to a pleasant level with a small amount of them. More watery sauces/broths (that includes "brown" chinese sauces, red tomato sauces and tomato based chili) will come out unpleasantly harsh even if not inedibly spicy (if familiar with Thai food, compare a Gaeng Phed with a Gaeng Pa made from the same amount and type of paste to see which direction things are going).