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Bajan pepper sauce
Barbados' sunshine-yellow hot sauce of scotch bonnets, mustard, turmeric, onion and vinegar (rest 3 days)
On every table in Barbados, from rum shops in Oistins to Sunday lunch at home, there's a bottle of yellow pepper sauce. Bajan pepper sauce is unlike the red sauces of other islands: scotch bonnets are blended with onion, yellow mustard, turmeric and vinegar, which give it its colour and a tangy, mellow edge under the fierce, fruity heat. A few drops lift fish cakes, cou-cou, macaroni pie and rice. Chef's tip: let it rest for a few days before using; the mustard and vinegar soften the raw onion and the heat becomes rounder.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Wear gloves, open a window and keep your face back: scotch bonnet fumes sting. Halve 12 scotch bonnet peppers, yellow or orange; remove the seeds from half of them for a sauce that's hot but bearable, or keep them all in for full Bajan strength.
5 minStep 2: Put the peppers, 1 onion and 2 cloves garlic into a blender with 4 oz yellow mustard (American-style), 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric, ¾ cup white vinegar, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Blend until smooth and bright yellow.
2 minStep 3: Pour into a small stainless steel or enamel pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until the raw onion smell has gone. Don't lean over the pan.
6 minStep 4: Cool, then pour into clean glass bottles or jars and seal. A common mistake is using it straight away: give it 3 days in the fridge, when the heat has rounded and the flavours married.
Step 5: Shake before using and add a few drops at a time. It keeps for 3 months in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 10 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bajan pepper sauce take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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