Salsa Colorada (Spanish Red Sauce)

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Here is a standard Spanish hot sauce would probably be prepared with the 
small, hot guindilla (“little cherry”) chiles. Serve this tasty sauce 
over steamed vegetables, roasted meats, or fish prepared by any method.

Ingredients

3 tomatoes
1 head of garlic
3 piquin, Thai, or de Arbol chiles, stems removed, crushed
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
12 almonds, peeled and toasted
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup wine vinegar
Salt to taste

Instructions

Roast the unpeeled tomatoes and garlic on a baking pan at 350 degrees 
until the tomatoes are very soft, then remove and peel them. Place the 
tomatoes and garlic cloves in a food processor or blender, add the 
crushed chile and pulse until coarsely puréed. Add the egg yolks and 
almonds and pulse several times until the almonds are broken up. Purée 
again, gradually adding the oil and vinegar, until a smooth sauce is 
formed. Add salt to taste, and keep warm over low heat until serving.

Môlho de Piri Piri (Portuguese Hot Sauce)

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Early in the sixteenth century, chiles were transferred from Portuguese 
Brazil to their colony of Angola. These small, piquin-like chiles (which 
were probably Brazilian malaguetas) were called piri-piri 
(pepper-pepper) and became an integral part of the local cuisine. The 
sauce made from them was transferred back to Portugual, where it is a 
staple on dining tables--served with seafood, soups, and stews. Since 
the piri-piri chiles are not usually available, use chiles de árbol, 
cayenne chiles, chile piquins, or chiltepíns. Note: This recipe requires 
advance preparation.

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped dried red chiles, seeds and stems removed
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a shaker jar. Cover, shake well, and store at
room temperature for 24 hours. Shake well before each use. To make a
smooth sauce, blend this mixture in a food processor and thin slightly
with water or cider vinegar.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

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Horseradish is a classic condiment that’s served with roast meats—beef 
in particular—and cooked or raw vegetables. Since horseradish is very 
volatile (the active ingredient is isothiocyanate) and loses its flavor 
and aroma quickly, this simple sauce should be made close to serving 
time. For an added hit of chile heat, I sometimes add ground habanero chile.

Ingredients

2/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh or prepared horseradish
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh dill weed

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until well mixed. Allow 
the mixture to sit for 15 to 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Rouille (Hot Sauce for Fish Stew)

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The famous food writer M. F. K. Fisher described this sauce as follows: 
“A peppery concoction suited to the taste of bouillabaisse, served 
separately from the soup to be ladled in at the discretion of the 
individual diner.”

Ingredients

2 small bell peppers, seeded and cut in small squares
2 small, hot dried chiles, such as piquin or Thai, crushed
1 cup water
2 pimientos, drained and dried (optional)
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 3 teaspoons fine dry bread crumbs
Salt to taste

Instructions

In a saucepan, combine the bell peppers, dried chiles, and water. Simmer 
until the bell peppers are soft, then drain the peppers and pat dry. 
Place the peppers, pimientos (optional) and garlic in a mixing bowl or 
mortar and mash the ingredients together until they become a smooth 
paste. Slowly beat in the olive oil and bread crumbs until the mixture 
becomes just too thick to pour. Or, add the peppers, pimientos, and 
garlic to a blender and purée while adding the olive oil and bread 
crumbs. Then add salt to taste.

Romesco Sauce

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Romesco is a classic Spanish sauce that is served with a wide variety of 
dishes, including the famous tortilla Española from the Tarragona 
region, this classic Catalan sauce combines almonds with two of the most 
popular horticultural imports from the New World—chiles and tomatoes. 
The sauce gets its name from the romesco chile, but these are not 
readily available outside Spain. A combination of ancho and New Mexican 
chiles approximates the flavor.

Ingredients

1 ancho chile, stem and seeds removed
2 dried red New Mexican red chiles, stems and seeds removed
1/2 cup toasted almonds
5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tomatoes, unpeeled
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200ºF.
Place the chiles, almonds, garlic, and tomatoes on a baking pan and 
roast in the oven until the nuts are toasted, the chiles are fragrant, 
and the skins of the tomatoes and garlic are blistered. The nuts will 
take about 5 minutes, the tomatoes about 20, and the chiles somewhere in 
between. Check frequently to be sure nothing burns.
Allow the ingredients to cool. Place the almonds in a spice mill or 
coffee grinder and process to a powder. Place the chiles in a bowl, 
cover with hot water, and allow them to steep for 15 minutes to soften. 
Drain the chiles and discard the water. Remove the skins from the 
tomatoes and garlic.
Put the almonds, chiles, tomatoes, garlic, and vinegar in a blender or 
food processor and puree to a smooth paste, adding a little oil if 
necessary.
Transfer the paste to a bowl and slowly whisk in the oil, 1 teaspoon at 
a time, until half of the oil is absorbed. Gradually add the remaining 
oil. Season with the salt and pepper.
Allow the sauce to sit for an hour or two to blend the flavors.