Cooking by Connie

Sometimes recipes call for a hot sauce. Perhaps you have bought one at the store. I have a great recipe from St Thomas USVI for a hot sauce. One of the people who I knew when I lived in St Thomas gave me a small bottle of her mother's West Indies hot sauce. I loved it and asked for the recipe. There was no recipe, her mother just put a little of this and that. So I sat with her as she made the hot sauce and wrote down the recipe as best I could. I have used this many times and it is always a great hit. I named it after the creator of the sauce. Most tables in the West Indies serve a variation of this recipe on their tables. This sauce is very hot and you should use it sparingly until you get used to it. I have added it to soups, stews, sauces and curries. Enjoy

Gloria's West Indies Pepper Sauce

1-5 Habanera chilies

1/2 cup cider vinegar ( or use malt vinegar)

1/2 cup water 1 medium Vidalia onion, cut in chunks

1-2 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

1/2 Tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 Tablespoon dry ground mustard

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Grind the Habanera peppers, onions, ginger and garlic in a food processor or food chopper.

Place in a glass bowl.

Combine vinegar, water and salt and pepper in a pot and bring to a boil for 1 minute.

Pour boiling mix over pepper mixture.

Allow to cool just a little.

Slowly add olive oil, honey and spices using a wire whisk.

Put in a glass sealable container ( I use a pint canning jar that has been cleaned with hot water.) Shake well.

Leave in the refrigerator in the closed container a few days.

It will get spicier the longer it sits. It can be refrigerated for 6-8 weeks with the lid on tight.

I started out with one Habanera chili in this recipe, then I added a second and I've stayed there. But you can work your way up to 5 if you can take the heat.

I like mine just fine at 2 Habanera chilies.