Hot Sauce E-Book

Dan May

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 145

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

60 recipes for fiery sauces and marinades, showcasing the WORLD'S MOST FLAVOURSOME CHILLIES. This book is PERFECT for anyone wanting to INJECT SOME SPICE into their kitchen. From Mexican chipotle sauce and French rouille to Vietnamese nuoc-cham and Texan hot sauce. This book has something for everyone, with offerings from all around the globe, spanning from mild to super spicy. Each recipe is easy to make, versatile and comes with a serving suggestion. For example, the African Chermoula is delicious with sardines and mackerel served with roasted veg; The Ultimate Peri-Peri Marinade pairs excellently with chicken and shrimp; and the eye-wateringly hot Ethiopian Berbere Paste adds depth and pizzazz to casseroles as well as making an unusual and memorable dip. Plenty of short, simple recipes for sauces and marinades, plus pastes, dips and spice blends. Find the perfect Chimichurri recipe, a Super-Speedy Patatas Bravas Sauce or a Crab, Lime and Scotch Bonnet Sauce. With information on each region and chilli, this book is perfect for anyone wanting to spice up their cooking.

Leseprobe

hot sauce

hot sauce

Fiery recipes for drizzling, dipping & marinating

Dan May

Designer Paul Stradling

Editor Abi Waters

Head of Production Patricia Harrington

Creative Director Leslie Harrington

Editorial Director Julia Charles

Food Stylist Lizzie Harris

Prop Stylist Róisín Nield

Indexer Vanessa Bird

Published in 2025 by Ryland Peters & Small

20–21 Jockey’s Fields

London WC1R 4BW

and

1452 Davis Bugg Road

Warrenton, NC 27589

www.rylandpeters.com

email: [email protected]

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Text © Dan May 2025 (except for recipe on page 57 © Thalassa Skinner).

Design and photographs © Ryland Peters & Small 2025.

Photography by Peter Cassidy (except for image on page 56 by Erin Kunkel).

Text and images have previously been published by Ryland Peters & Small in

The Red Hot Chilli Sauce Book by Dan May.

The author’s moral rights have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-78879-685-9

E-ISBN: 978-1-78879-729-0

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

US Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data has been applied for.

The authorised representative in the EEA is Authorised Rep Compliance Ltd.,

Ground Floor, 71 Lower Baggot Street,

Dublin, D02 P593, Ireland

www.arccompliance.com

Printed and bound in China.

NOTES

• The recipes in this book are given in both metric and imperial measurements. However, the spellings are primarily British and this includes all terminology relating to chilli peppers. British ‘chilli’ and ‘chillies’ are used where Americans would use ‘chile’, ‘chili’ and ‘chiles’.

• The amount each recipe makes varies and is difficult to estimate. Please refer to each recipe for storing information and use as needed.

• All eggs are medium (UK) or large (US) unless otherwise specified. Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very young, the very old, those with compromised immune systems, or to pregnant women.

• Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperature. Recipes in this book were tested using a regular oven. If using a fan/convection oven, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for adjusting temperatures.

• Sterilize preserving jars before use. Wash them in hot, soapy water and rinse in boiling water. Place in a large saucepan and then cover with hot water. With the lid on, bring the water to the boil and continue boiling for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, then leave the jars in the hot water until just before they are to be filled. Invert the jars onto clean kitchen paper to dry. Sterilize the lids for 5 minutes, by boiling, or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Jars should be filled and sealed while they are still hot.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

MEXICO & SOUTH AMERICA

AFRICA

CARIBBEAN

MEDITERRANEAN

USA

INDIA

ASIA

INDEX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

Hot sauce is really having a moment! Its popularity is soaring, encouraging people to seek out not just the hottest sauces, but the tastiest and most unusual ones, too. This is in part due to its versatility as it can be enjoyed on all manner of foods from the predictable chicken wings, all the way through to using it to elevate an otherwise standard grilled cheese sandwich.

The beauty of this indispensable sauce is that it can come in many guises. Whether it be a classic chilli sauce using the hottest variety of chilli from Mexico, a rich curry paste full of depth from India, or even a sweet and spicy hot honey from the Mediterranean, the possibilities are really endless. With that in mind, I decided to take a tour of the culinary world and investigate the different sauces, marinades, pastes and rubs that can be found around the globe.

Many of the recipes in this book are ones I have, in principle, known for years and have loved to make but as I began to look at the ingredients and the way people cooked around the world I realized that each culture’s approach to their food needed to be considered before I could really understand the processes and skills that make each recipe special. Each one is special because it represents a particular flavour combination or way of doing things that is often unique to a small geographic area. Although this book is undoubtedly about chillies and the love of chillies it is also about cooking, eating and sharing and how important these things are no matter where you happen to live.

Culturally it seems preparing fresh home-cooked meals is not regarded highly enough within our modern families to warrant the time or effort involved. It is interesting (or should I say impossible) to imagine say an Italian, Spanish or Greek family having no regard for the person who cooked for them or interest in the story of their food!

The most popular dishes of countries give us great insight into their culture. We readily accept and encourage change, which is probably what has kept our culture so alive and exciting over the past 150 years. There are few places in the world where chillies and spicy food have been so enthusiastically embraced or where the culture of eating chillies and challenging your palate reaches such extremes.

Despite the huge cultural differences between the Caribbean, the UK, Spain, South Africa, India, China, the USA and all the other regions covered in this book, there exists a unified ‘chilli culture’ that dares itself to eat hotter and hotter food, that loves to laugh at anyone who exceeds their tolerance and loves to share their food and experiences with anyone who is interested. There is fun and experimentation, and behind it all there is more often than not a willing social interaction, collaboration and good food!

So do we use cooking as an excuse to use spices and chillies or are they the excuse to cook? I don’t think it really matters; as long as the two go hand in hand we get the fun and the benefits of both; as well as hopefully preserving some pretty fantastic old recipes and learning how to use them.

Challenge yourself to discover and experiment with the recipes in this collection and jump on the hot sauce bandwagon to take your cooking to new levels.

1

MEXICO & SOUTH AMERICA

NOTED CHILLIES

The Poblano which, when ripened fully and dried, is referred to as the Ancho, Chipotle, Orange Habanero, Rocoto, Pasilla, Brazilian Starfish, Aji Amarillo (pictured opposite), Aji Limo.

CHILLI FACTS & FICTION

Aztec kings used to drink a combination of hot chocolate and crushed dried chillies to ‘stimulate’ themselves before visiting their concubines.

ROAST TOMATO & CHIPOTLE HOT SAUCE

This is another absolute classic from Mexico with loads of variations, but I like the way this one balances the smokiness of the Chipotle chillies with the sweetness of the onion and tomatoes.

5–6 Chipotle chillies

400 g/14 oz. vine-ripened tomatoes (the riper the better), halved

2 fresh bay leaves

2 thyme sprigs

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

3–4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 small glass of red wine

2 tbsp agave syrup

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp dried oregano

sea salt and black pepper

Put the chillies in a bowl, add a little warm water and leave to soak for about 20–30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) Gas 5.

Put the tomatoes in a roasting pan with the bay leaves and thyme. Drizzle with most of the oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Roast in the preheated oven until the tomatoes are starting to brown – 45–50 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little.

Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan/skillet. Fry the onion gently until it begins to turn golden, add the garlic and fry for a further 3–4 minutes. Add the wine and allow to cook for a further few minutes to steam off the alcohol. Remove from the heat.

Take the chillies from the water, remove their stems and deseed them. Put in a food processor or blender with the onion, garlic and wine mixture. Remove the skins from the roasted tomatoes and add the flesh to the food processor. Blend everything together to a smooth paste.

Transfer the paste to a small saucepan with the agave syrup, mustard and oregano and mix thoroughly. Heat over medium heat to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly. Reduce the heat and allow to cook for a further 10 minutes until the sauce reduces to your desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper as required.

The sauce will keep for several weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hot tip: Use this with a full English (cooked) breakfast or in a chicken or sausage sandwich for great results!

YUCATECAN ACHIOTE PASTE (RECADO ROJO)

Yucatán is the traditional home to the Mayan people, and their influence (along with that of Spanish and Caribbean cuisine) is very apparent in local dishes, creating very diverse results.

2 tbsp annatto seeds

1 tbsp black peppercorns

5–6 allspice berries

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp Mexican wild oregano

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

8 garlic cloves, crushed

½ tsp finely chopped Habanero chilli

60 ml/¼ cup sour orange juice, or 1 tbsp orange juice and 3 tbsp lime juice

Put the annatto, peppercorns, allspice, cumin, oregano and salt in a heavy-duty mortar and grind together with a pestle. Annatto seeds are very hard, so the heavier the grinding implement the easier it will be. You can always use a coffee or spice grinder.

When you have achieved a fairly fine grind, add the cinnamon, garlic and chilli and continue grinding. Add the orange juice and pound to a smooth paste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

The paste will keep for several months in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hot tip: Use this with pork, turkey, rice and fish.

MOLE POBLANO

Mole Poblano has reached a status so legendary that it is easy to be afraid to even attempt making one! It is yet another recipe that has no shortcuts and requires a degree of devotion to complete. Delicious and immensely satisfying, once you have made it from scratch, you will not only feel very smug but you will also see just how poor storebought ‘moles’ can be. Mole Poblano is perhaps the best way of using up leftover turkey and chicken.

4 Guajillo chillies, deseeded and roughly torn

6 Ancho chillies, deseeded and roughly torn

3 Pasilla chillies, deseeded and roughly torn

3-cm/1¼-inch piece cinnamon stick, roughly broken

½ piece star anise

¼ tsp coriander seeds

3 cloves

1 tsp sesame seeds

8 black peppercorns

¼ tsp dried marjoram

½ tsp Mexican wild oregano

a large pinch of dried thyme

½ onion, quartered

10 garlic cloves, skin on

200 g/7 oz. tomatillos

120 g/4½ oz. ripe tomatoes

1 tbsp vegetable oil

50 g/⅓ cup almonds

30 g/1 oz. walnuts

20 g/¾ oz. peanuts

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

½ small corn tortilla, torn into small pieces

50 g/⅓ cup raisins

500 ml/2 cups chicken stock, warmed

50 g/2 oz. Mexican chocolate, broken into pieces

sea salt and ground white pepper

Put the chillies in a heavy-based frying pan/skillet and dry-roast them until they begin to char slightly. Remove from the heat immediately. Put the chillies in a bowl, add a little hot water and allow to soak for 20–30 minutes. Drain and reserve the soaking liquid.

In the same pan, toast the cinnamon, star anise, coriander, cloves, sesame seeds and peppercorns over medium heat until they begin to brown and release their aromas. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool. Grind in a coffee or spice grinder until fine. Mix with the herbs and set aside.

Preheat a grill/broiler. Put the onion, garlic, tomatillos and tomatoes in a roasting pan under the hot grill/broiler and toast, turning frequently, until each ingredient is beginning to lightly char. You may want to do this in batches of like ingredients. Allow to cool, then peel the garlic.

In the same heavy-based pan, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the nuts, pumpkin seeds and tortilla pieces until they are well coloured but not burnt. Warning: pumpkin seeds pop as they are fried, so cover the pan with a mesh lid, if you like. Remove from the heat and lift out the nuts, seeds and tortilla pieces from the oil using a slotted spoon. Set the pan and the oil aside.

Put the nuts, seeds, tortilla pieces, raisins and charred onion, garlic, tomatillos and tomatoes in a food processor. Blend until you have a smooth paste, adding the stock as required. Remove the stems from the soaked chillies and add the flesh to the food processor. Blend until they are completely broken down into the paste. Add the ground, roasted spices and blend again. Add some of the chilli soaking liquid and/or stock, if required, as you blend.

Return the reserved pan with its oil to the heat and gently reheat. Force the paste through a fine sieve/strainer into the pan with the back of a spoon to remove any remaining gritty bits. Bring it to a very gentle simmer and simmer over very low heat (and I mean really low!), adding stock as required, for about 60–75 minutes. Stir very regularly. You can cover it, but I tend to leave it uncovered and add stock as required.

Season with salt and add the chocolate. Cook for about 10–15 minutes, stirring to ensure the chocolate has melted. Add salt and some white pepper to taste.

Hot tip: Use with lightly poached chicken or turkey served with basmati rice, or in a tortilla (as a taco) sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

AJÍ AMARILLO SAUCE

This ubiquitous Peruvian chilli sauce can be made with Jalapeño chillies, but there is nothing quite like the real thing made with the famous yellow chillies of Peru.

250 g/9 oz. Ají Amarillo chillies (or Jalapeños), halved and deseeded

1 roasted garlic clove

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt

Put the chillies and a little water in a saucepan, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, sugar, lime juice and vinegar and continue to simmer, stirring regularly to dissolve the sugar. Add a good pinch of salt. Blend to a smooth paste with a stick blender or in a food processor. Gradually add the oil while blending, until the desired consistency is reached. Add more salt if required, and allow to cool.

The sauce will keep for several weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hot tip: Use with anything – but it is particularly good with seafood or potato dishes.

CHIMICHURRI

Chimichurri is a herby, garlicky concoction that works equally well as an accompanying sauce or as a marinade. It rarely features much chilli but the addition of a Jalapeño provides some warmth.

1 small shallot, very finely chopped

1 green Jalapeño chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

juice of 1 small lime

a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

3 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

4 large garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp dried oregano or 2 tbsp fresh oregano

1 fresh bay leaf, finely chopped and woody stem removed

1 tsp red and green peppercorns, freshly ground

125 ml/½ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp sea salt

Put the shallot, chilli and lime juice in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and set aside for about 1 hour.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and stir together. Add the shallot mixture and mix thoroughly. This sauce can also be made equally well by giving the ingredients a couple of pulses in a food processor. Cover and allow the flavours to mingle until required.

The acidic nature of this blend allows it to store well for several weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hot tip: Use as a marinade for strips of beef or chicken, or with lamb or fish.

BOLIVIAN LLAJUA HOT SAUCE

This sauce is made using Rocoto peppers, or Locoto as they are known in Bolivia. They are odd chilli plants from the species Capsicum pubescens, and their leaves and stems are covered in tiny hairs. Unusually, they are able to withstand cooler temperatures than other species producing a similar heat. We have used a combination of coriander/cilantro and basil in this sauce to replicate the flavour of quilquiña – Bolivian coriander.

3–4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, halved and deseeded

1 red Rocoto chilli (or red Habanero), deseeded

2 plump garlic cloves, roughly chopped

a small handful of coriander/cilantro

about 10 basil leaves

olive oil, as required

½ tsp sea salt, or to taste

Put all the ingredients, except the oil and salt, into a food processor/blender and pulse until you have a coarse paste. Add oil to aid blending and to achieve the required consistency. Taste and season with salt.

Hot tip: Use as a fresh salsa for barbecued pork or chicken, or with grilled/broiled chicken.

PEBRE

Perhaps the most commonly served sauce in Chile, Pebre is served with most cooked meats and varies greatly in its constituent parts. The recipe below is a good starting point, but feel free to experiment. Make it a few hours in advance, as the flavours improve as they mingle.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

100 ml/scant ½ cup water

4–5 fresh Ají chillies (Ají Limo work brilliantly), finely chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 small onion, finely chopped

a large handful of coriander/cilantro, finely chopped

1 tbsp oregano, finely chopped

½ tsp salt

In a medium bowl, beat the oil, vinegar and water together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly together.

It can be kept for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hot tip: Use with barbecued meats.

AJÍ DE HUACATAY