Piment Limón (Citrus Hot Sauce)

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Here is my version of the classic hot sauce of Rórigues Island in the 
Mascarenes. It is very thick, so feel free to thin with more water if 
you want. You’d think that this sauce might be sour, but it’s not–the 
sugar in the red chiles seems to temper the tart lemons. Any fresh red 
chiles can be used, and you can adjust the heat level to your liking. 
The yield is high here, but the color is so beautiful that you should 
put the excess in decorative bottles as gifts for your friends. It will 
keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. Serve it over fish or other 
seafood.

Ingredients

6 cups water
10 lemons, thickly sliced, seeds removed (or substitute limes for a 
different color)
8 to 10 red jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, halved
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Place the water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the lemon slices 
and boil for 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the water.
Place the jalapeños in a blender and add the oil. Puree to make a thick 
paste. Add the lemon slices, a few at a time, along with 3 cups of the 
reserved water, a half cup at a time. You may have to do this in batches 
in you don’t have a large blender. Puree to a thick sauce. Pour into 
bottles and label.

Ngapi Ye (Hot Burmese Anchovy Sauce)

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This highly aromatic Burmese sauce is commonly used to heat up Southeast
Asian curries. Shrimp or prawn paste may be substituted for the
fermented dried fish if you can’t find it at the Asian market. In a
pinch, use canned anchovy fillets.

Ingredients

2 cups fermented dried fish or anchovies
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup shrimp powder (available in Asian markets)
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons lime juice
6 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring the fish and water to a boil, then reduce the heat,
simmer for five minutes, and mash the fish. Remove from the heat and
when the mixture cools, add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Salsa Pimentón

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The hotbed of chiles in Spain is the valley of La Vera, where the 
pimientos (chiles) are grown and smoked to make the famous spice 
pimentón de la Vera. The majority of the pimentón goes to the sausage 
factories, where it is used to spice up, flavor, and brighten up the 
famous Spanish chorizo. But it is also packed in tins for the consumer 
market. There are three varieties of pimentón--sweet (dulce), hot 
(picante), and bittersweet (agridulce). The hot type is used in winter 
soups, chorizo, and Galician pulpo, or octopus. The octopus is boiled 
and sliced, then sprinkled with olive oil, salt, and hot pimentón 
powder. Interestingly, there are recipes for chorizo and potato stews 
that utilize all three of the types of pimentón. Serve this sauce over 
grilled seafood and chicken.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium purple onion, chopped
3 tablespoons hot pimentón
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup minced green olives

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, onion, and 1 
tablespoon of pimentón and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes 
and bell peppers and cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. 
Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add 
the remaining pimentón and the olives and puree. Transfer the sauce back 
to the pan and keep warm.

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.