Caribbean Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
Every Caribbean table has a bottle of pepper sauce on it, and every island argues over what belongs in it. The constant is the Scotch bonnet, the lantern-shaped chile that brings a fruity, almost floral heat behind its serious burn, along with vinegar to carry and preserve it. Habaneros are its closest widely sold cousin and stand in well if bonnets are hard to find. Most bottled versions are heavy with salt, and they do not need to be, since the chile, vinegar, and garlic already fill the mouth. A simmered carrot is the quiet trick that gives the sauce body and a hint of sweetness without any oil, and turmeric lends the golden color of the Trinidadian and Bajan bottles. This is coconut-free by nature, unlike much of the region's cooking. Make it once and a little jar will season weeks of plain beans and grains.
Ingredients
- 6 Habaneros, Scotch bonnet if you can find them, stemmed
- 1 Carrot, chopped
- 1/2 Yellow onions, chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 cup White wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Allspice, ground
- 1 tsp Thyme, leaves
- 2 tbsp Lime juice
Method
- Simmer the chopped carrot in a little water until fork-tender, about 6 minutes, then drain. Softened carrot blends into a smooth, slightly sweet body that gives the sauce cling and rounds off the raw burn of the peppers.
- Wear gloves to stem the Scotch bonnets, and work in a ventilated spot. These are among the hottest chiles in common use, and their oils will linger on bare skin for hours.
- Blend the chiles, carrot, onion, garlic, vinegar, mustard, turmeric, allspice, and thyme until completely smooth. The vinegar is both the flavor and the preservative, so do not skimp, and it does the seasoning that salt usually would.
- Pour into a small saucepan and simmer gently for 5 minutes. A brief cook mellows the raw garlic and onion and marries the spices, while the turmeric deepens the color to a Caribbean gold.
- Stir in the lime juice off the heat for a final fresh lift, then blend once more if you want it glass-smooth. Cool completely.
- Bottle and refrigerate. The flavor sharpens over the first few days as the heat settles, and the acidity keeps it for a month or more. Use it by the drop over beans, rice, and roasted vegetables.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 15 calories, 1 g protein, 1 g fiber, 5 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
