Hungarian Hot Paprika Sauce

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Although paprika is more often used in stews than sauces, this sauce was 
designed as a condiment for fish. Traditionally, it is served over fried 
fillets of river fish.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon minced onion
2 to 3 teaspoons hot paprika
Hint of nutmeg

Instructions

Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, salt, and pepper and stir 
constantly until it starts to bubble. Gradually add the milk, stirring 
constantly until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and 
continue to stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion, nutmeg, and paprika 
to the mixture, stir well for 30 seconds, and serve.

Zhug (Yemenite Hot Sauce)

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Popular with the Yemenite Jews in Israel and in the Middle East, this 
hot sauce starts with a paste of garlic and peppers plus whatever spices 
the individual cook chooses, along with cilantro and/or parsley. There 
are two versions, this green one and a red one that uses red sweet and 
hot peppers. Tomatoes are sometimes added to tone down the sauce, which 
can be quite spicy. This quick and easy sauce serves as a table 
condiment, as a sauce for grilled fish or meat or for eggs, or can be 
added to soups and stews just before serving. It goes especially well 
with lamb kabobs.

Ingredients

8 serrano chiles, stems removed (or substitute jalapeño chiles)
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice, preferably fresh
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the chiles, garlic, caraway, cumin, cardamom, pepper, cloves, and 
lemon juice in a blender or food processor and puree to a smooth paste, 
adding some of the oil if necessary.
Add the cilantro and parsley, and while the machine is running slowly, 
add the oil until a “soupy” sauce is formed. Season with salt.

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.

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.