Sauce Gombo

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Gombo means okra in West Africa, and that vegetable is the primary thickening agent of this simple sauce from Ghana.  The sauce can be served like a soup or poured over potatoes, plantains, or other starchy tubers.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh okra, sliced into rounds
1 cup water
1 teaspoon hot chile powder, such as cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato, coarsely chopped

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat for for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the okra is tender.   Serve it as is or puree it in a blended for a smoother sauce.

Another Chile-Flavored Vodka

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When I write “flavored,” I mean it, as I have chosen the chiles that 
impart the most distinct flavors. The raisiny flavor of the pasilla 
melds with the apricot overtones of the habanero and the earthiness of 
the New Mexican chile to create a finely-tuned fiery sipping vodka. Of 
course, use an excellent vodka like Stolichnaya or Absolut. Note: This 
recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

1 liter vodka
1 pasilla chile, seeds and stems removed, cut into thin strips
1/2 dried red New Mexican chile pod, seeds and stems removed, cut in fourths
1/4 habanero chile, seeds and stems removed, left whole

Instructions

Open the bottle of vodka and drink some of it to make room in the 
bottle. Add the chiles and recap. Let sit for at least 3 days to 
generate some heat, and the vodka will get progressively hotter over the 
weeks. As you drink the vodka, replace it with more fresh vodka, and the 
process will go on for some time.

Chiltepín Pepper Vodka

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The Russians are the true inventors of pepper vodka and they flavor 
their vodka most commonly with cayenne. Any type of small fresh or dried 
chile pepper that will fit in the bottle will work. Be sure to taste it 
often and remove the chiles when it reaches the desired heat--the longer 
the chiles are left in, the hotter the vodka will get! Serving 
Suggestions: Serve over ice or in tomato juice for an “instant” bloody 
mary. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

4 to 6 dried chiltepín or piquín chiles, left whole
1 liter vodka

Instructions

Place the chiles in the vodka and let them steep for a week or more. 
Periodically taste the vodka and remove the chiles when it is hot enough.

“Red Ass” Bloody Mary Mix

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So named because it was served to visitors of chili con carne cookoffs 
by the Red Ass Chili Team. This mix will spice up your morning and 
possibly help with that hangover from the night before. Omit the 
habanero unless you like it extremely hot! I've heard that this mix is 
also good without alcohol, but I've never tried it that way.

Ingredients

1 jalapeño chile, stem and seeds removed
1 habanero chile, stem and seeds removed
6 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup A-1 sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup orange juice
1 quart tomato juice
Vodka or tequila to taste
Salt and mild chile powder
Lemon or lime slices for garnish

Instructions

Place the chiles, Worcestershire and A-1 sauces, cilantro, horseradish, 
garlic salt, pepper and oregano in a blender and process until smooth. 
Stir in the juices and chill.
To serve, place the salt and chile powder on a plate. Wet the rim of the 
serving glasses with a lime slice and rub the glass upside down on the 
chile mixture. Pour 1 1/2 ounces of liquor in each glass along with ice, 
fill with the bloody mary mix, stir well, garnish with a lime slice and 
serve.