Hot Sauce
Prep time: about 45 minutes
Yield: approximately 4 ounces, or 60 ml hot sauce.
You will need a small food processor, blender, or stick blender to make the hot sauce. You’ll also need a wok or large frying pan, a knife, tongs or a fork, and a lidded glass jar or other sterile lidded storage vessel.
If you haven’t any automated gizmos to puree the sauce, you can use a potato masher in a bowl. Be careful not to splatter yourself. For this reason I don’t think mortar and pestle are wise.
Take care when handling hot peppers. Wash utensils and cutting boards with hot soapy water. Open windows and use the oven fan, if you have one. Keep pets and small children away from the peppers. Disposable or washable gloves are recommended while preparing hot sauce.
1 red or yellow bell pepper
1 shallot
1 or 2 small garlic cloves (optional)
1 red or green Jalapeno pepper
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper
2-3 tablespoons peanut or other mild cooking oil, like grapeseed
1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste, if needed
1 teaspoon rice wine or other mild vinegar
a little water, for loosening the puree
Sterilize a lidded glass jar that will easily hold 4 ounces/60 ml. Wash it with hot soapy water and either put it in a 200F/170C oven to dry (the lid can rest on a dishtowel) or run it through your dishwasher.
Have a wok or large frying pan ready.
Slice the red or yellow pepper into “slabs” and deseed it.
Slice the shallot thinly, discarding the papery outer layer.
Lightly crush and slice garlic, if using.
Don gloves.
Slice the Scotch Bonnet pepper. For a spicy sauce, leave seeds and ribs in. For a mild sauce, remove seeds and ribs.
Slice Jalapeno Pepper; For a spicy sauce, leave seeds and ribs in. For a mild sauce, remove seeds and ribs.
Strip off gloves and discard/wash them.
Pour cooking oil into pan or wok and turn heat to low. I used my 14 inch/28cm wok to make the hot sauce.
Once pan is warm, add peppers, shallots, and garlic. Use tongs or large fork to transfer peppers to pan, so you aren’t handling them. Scatter a teaspoon of salt over all.
You want the heat to be just high enough for peppers/shallots/garlic to cook gently without browning. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid browning.You may need to adjust the burner frequently to keep the heat at the right temperature. I did.
The peppers should begin to cook down and soften. I used the spatula to break peppers down further in the pan.
The entire cooking process takes 15-20 minutes. You’re looking for the peppers and shallots to collapse and soften without completely losing their shapes or colors.
Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool a few minutes.
At this point I wash the cutting board and knife with hot soapy water. If you’re concerned about lingering heat, rub your board with a cut lemon or scrub with coarse salt.
Carefully pour the sauce into the processor cannister, or whatever you’re using to puree the sauce. Taste a tiny bit for salt, and add if needed. You will likely need to add a little water.
Decant the sauce into the sterilized jar. Add a teaspoon of vinegar on top.
Cap jar loosely and allow to cool on counter for about 20 minutes. (Hot jar+Cold Fridge=Bad idea) Once the jar is cool, tighten lid and refrigerate. Use sauce within 2 weeks.
Note:
This sauce is not intended for long keeping. It should be refrigerated and consumed within a couple weeks.