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Sauce chien
Herb, lime and chilli sauce
Sharp herb, lime and chilli sauce from the French Antilles (sos chyen)
No grill in Martinique or Guadeloupe is complete without a bowl of sauce chien: shallot, garlic, spring onion, parsley and Scotch bonnet chopped very fine, then 'cooked' with a splash of boiling water, lime juice and oil. Islanders spoon it over grilled vegetables, plantain, rice and beans, and accras, at beach picnics and family barbecues on Sunday afternoons. One story says it is named after the knife used to chop the herbs, whose handle bore a dog. Chef's tip: pour the water on just off the boil; it softens the raw onion and garlic and brightens the green of the herbs.
- Total time
- 27 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 shallotsvery finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlicvery finely chopped
- 4 spring onionsvery finely chopped
- ½ oz flat-leaf parsleyvery finely chopped
- ½ Scotch bonnet chilliseeds removed, very finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp lime juicefrom about 2 limes
- ½ cup boiling water
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Chop 2 shallots, 2 cloves garlic, 4 spring onions, ½ oz flat-leaf parsley and ½ Scotch bonnet chilli by hand as finely as you can. Common mistake: using a blender; it bruises the herbs into a green purée, and the sauce should be a loose, glistening mix of tiny pieces.
10 minStep 2: Put everything in a heatproof bowl with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper and 3 tbsp lime juice and stir.
Step 3: Bring ½ cup boiling water to the boil and pour it straight over the herbs. Stir, then stir in 4 tbsp sunflower oil.
2 minStep 4: Leave for 15 minutes to cool and let the flavours mingle. The sauce is ready when the shallots have softened slightly. It is best the same day and keeps for 2 days in the fridge.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sauce chien take?
- About 27 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 2 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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