Chipolte-Habanero Hot Sauce

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Jalapeno, habanero and Scotch bonnet are the most common types of fresh chiles found in Miami cuisine. Plenty of chipotles (smoked jalapenos sold both dry and canned) are used too, as well as the many other dried varieties available. Though most recipes call for some type of chile, the real source of heat in many Latin and Caribbean dishes is the hot sauce. Here, I have included two versions. The Chipotle-Habanero Sauce is a thinner, Latin-style sauce with a scorching finish, and the other is a chunky Caribbean-style version with a little sweetness to temper the heat.

Note: this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 3 dried chipotle peppers
    1 tablespoon canola oil

    1 medium onion, chopped

    Salt and pepper, to taste

    1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ground in a mortar or spice grinder (or 1 tablespoon mustard powder)

    1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped

    1 clove garlic, chopped

    1/4 cup pineapple juice

    3 habanero chiles, chopped

    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

    1 teaspoon tomato paste

    1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

    2 tablespoons white vinegar

    1 teaspoon red curry powder

    1/2 teaspoon chile powder

Instructions

Soak the dried chipotle peppers in warm water for 1 hour. Drain the chipotles, reserving the soaking water, and finely chop.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground mustard seeds and chopped chipotles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the remaining ingredients, bring the contents to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

If you have an immersion blender, put it directly into the saucepan and run it until you reach the desired consistency. If you want a thinner sauce, add small amounts of the reserved chipotle soaking water.

If you are using a regular blender, be sure to leave the air hole open so steam can escape. Hold a dish towel loosely over the hole while blending. Puree to the desired consistency. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Sweet n’ Spicy Caribbean Hot Sauce

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This sauce is wonderful on grilled chicken and firm fish like salmon. Use it as they would in Trinidad to spice up a fried shark sandwich. If you are using whole spices, grind them in a mortar or in a spice grinder. Allspice berries can be found in Latin and Caribbean markets, as well as specialty food stores. Note: this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 3 dried chipotle peppers

    3 dried allspice berries, ground (or 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice)

    1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ground (or 1 tablespoon mustard powder)

    1 clove, ground (or a pinch of ground clove)

    1 teaspoon turmeric

    1/2 teaspoon red curry powder

    1 teaspoon ground black pepper

    1 tablespoon canola oil

    2 cloves garlic, minced

    1 shallot, chopped

    1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped

    5 habaneros, finely chopped

    1/2 mango, chopped

    2 tablespoons white vinegar

    3 tablespoons light brown sugar

    1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

    1/4 cup pineapple juice

    Salt to taste

Instructions

Soak the dried chipotles in warm water for 1 hour. Drain the chipotles, reserving the soaking water. Remove the seeds, finely chop the chiles and set aside. Combine the allspice, mustard seeds, clove, turmeric, curry powder and black pepper in a small bowl and set it aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot, ginger, chopped chipotles and spices. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine them. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Check the consistency. If you want a thinner sauce, add more pineapple juice or the chipotle soaking water. Remove the pan from the heat. If you have an immersion blender, put it directly into the saucepan and blend. I like a chunky texture for this sauce. If you are using a regular blender, be sure to leave the air hole open so steam can escape. Hold a dish towel loosely over the hole and blend to the desired consistency. Transfer the sauce to a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.


Cured and Pecan-Smoked King Salmon with Hot Sauce

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The key to preparing salmon this way is to make certain that your smoke is rather cool, about 100 degrees. If it is warmer, decrease the smoking time. This recipe takes a fair amount of time, but most of that is spent waiting rather than working. The selection of sauces served is up to the cook, so feel free to experiment. A horseradish sauce will work also. The salmon can also be served on bagels, as pictured here. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

For the Cure:

  • 2.5 cups kosher salt

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon ground oregano

  • 1 teaspoon crushed dill weed

For the Salmon:

  • 2 large salmon fillets, about 2 to 5 pounds each, or 5 small but thicker fillets

For the Sauce:

  • Commercial habanero hot sauce

  • Commercial sherry pepper hot sauce

  • Commercial spicy mustard

  • Commercial creamy horseradish sauce

Instructions

For the Cure:

Combine the ingredients for the cure in a bowl and mix well. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on an aluminum baking pan and spread about a 1/8-inch thick layer of the cure blend and place the fillets on the plastic wrap. Top the fillets with 1/8-inch of cure. Cover the fillets with plastic wrap and cure in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours; a 4-hour cure is preferable. Remove the fillets from the wrap and rinse the cure off each fillet. Allow the fillets to air dry for about 2 hours.

For the Salmon:

Prepare a fire in the smoker’s firebox with pecan wood or other fruit or nut hardwood of choice, such as apple, apricot, peach, or walnut. When the fire stabilizes and the smoke is no longer hot, place the fillets skin-side down on racks or on the aluminum baking pan.

Smoke the fillets for 4 to 5 hours, depending on their thickness. Regularly check the fire and fillets to make sure that the fish is smoking, not rapidly cooking.

Serve the salmon over crackers of choice topped with any of the three sauces as an appetizer. Refrigerate any leftovers, which will keep for weeks.

Essential Habanero Hot Sauce

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This is the latest recipe in Nancy’s never ending quest to duplicate that wonderful Caribbean hot sauce that we love. Fresh, frozen, or pickled habaneros can all be used, but if using pickled chiles, there is no need to rinse them. Adjust the heat by adding fewer habaneros, not by increasing the carrots as this can alter the flavor. This version of the recipe is designed to be processed in a water bath.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups chopped carrots

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 1½ cups white vinegar

  • 1/4 cup lime juice

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 10 to 12 habanero chiles, seeds and stems removed, chopped

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients, except for the habaneros, in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes or until the carrots are soft.

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Strain for a smoother sauce.

Pour in sterilized jars and process in a water bath as described above.

Louisiana-Type Hot Sauce

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This recipe is from The Hot Sauce Bible, by Dave DeWitt and Chuck Evans. They say that the key to success with this sauce is to use fresh rather than dried chiles and that any small fresh hot chile can be used.

Ingredients

  • 15 to 20 large fresh Tabasco chiles, stems and seeds removed, cut in half lengthwise, or substitute fresh piquins or cayennes

  • 2 cloves garlic, cut in half

  • ½ cup distilled white vinegar

  • Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the chiles, cut side down, on a broiler rack. Broil for about 5 minutes or until the skin blisters and blackens. Transfer the peppers to a paper bag and let stand for about 10 minutes. Peel the chiles when cool.

 

Place the chiles and garlic in a blender or food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the vinegar until the mixture is well blended. Add salt to taste. Keep covered and refrigerated until you use it.

Yield: ½ cup

Heat Scale: Hot