Caribbean Sun-of-a Beach Hot Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

Instructions

If there were a typical eastern Caribbean hot sauce, this might be it. It has hints of Trinidad, Barbados, and even Grenada. To be perfectly authentic, you should buy or grow the red habaneros so popular in that part of the Caribbean, called Congo or bonney peppers.

• 1/2 pound red habanero chiles, seeds and stems removed

• 1 white onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup lime juice (or lemon juice)

• 2 tablespoons water

• 1 medium papaya, boiled until tender, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

• 1 tomato, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon basil

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 2 tablespoons dry mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Combine the chiles, onion, garlic, papaya, and tomato in a food processor and puree (you may have to do this in batches). Remove to a shallow bowl.

Combine the vinegar, lime juice, and water in a saucepan and heat until it reaches a slight boil, then sprinkle the thyme, basil, nutmeg, mustard, and turmeric. Pour this hot, spiced mixture over the reserved puree and mix thoroughly. It will last up to eight weeks in the refrigerator.

Yield: 3 to 4 cups

Heat Scale: Hot