Sunday 1 May 2011

Hot Sauce #1 - Toxic Lime

Back with another sauce - this time I thought i'd try something of a Thai theme: lime, kaffier lime, lemongrass, and fresh coriander. I just grabbed a few things from the garden and the pantry that seemed to match and came up with my second sauce, Sauce #1 - Toxic Lime.


Ingredients

350gApples, cored.
60gFresh coriander, including root and stem.
70gFresh lemongrass.
40gFresh ginger.
12gFresh lemon basil leaves.
2Kaffir lime leaf.
1Kaffir lime zest.
2Limes, juice and zest.
200gCayesan chillies (large fleshy chillies)
100gHabaneros (about 15)
1/2 cupMalt vinegar.
30gPalm sugar.
1/2 cupCane Sugar.
1 cupWater.
1 tspCitric Acid.
2 tblMushroom soy sauce (Happy Boy Brand)
100mlOlive oil.

Method

Cut the ginger, lemongrass and lime leaf into fine slices and then put into a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add all of the other fresh ingredients (everything until and including the chillies) and blend thoroughly into a fine paste.

Place into a medium sized saucepan on a low heat and add the liquids and bring to a slow simmer.

Stir in the sugar and simmer everything slowly 'until done' - 30+ minutes.

Use a stick blender to liquefy everything together as much as possible.

Bottle.

Results

This has a slightly strange flavour - despite lime and chilli seeming a good match I've never really found something where it truly 'worked'. Perhaps the kaffier lime zest is a little overpowering, as is the coriander. I will have to leave it for a bit and try it with some suitable food (might go well with pork?).

It definitely has a lime flavour to it though, which is what I was trying to achieve so at this point i'd call it a success. And it smells wonderful. It's probably about a 7 out of 10 for heat as with the previous recipe.

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