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Trini pepper sauce
Pepper sauce: raw scotch bonnet, shado beni, garlic and mustard blended sharp and green for doubles and pholourie
Ask for doubles anywhere in Trinidad and the vendor will ask "slight or heavy?", meaning how much pepper sauce goes on. This raw, rough-blended sauce also goes on pholourie, aloo pie, bake and saltfish and Christmas pastelles, and every family swears theirs is best. Scotch bonnet or local congo peppers are blended with shado beni (culantro), plenty of garlic, prepared mustard, vinegar and lime, and many cooks stretch it with grated green papaya or green mango for body. It tastes ferociously hot, sharp, garlicky and green, with a tangy mustard finish. Abroad, swap the culantro for double the amount of coriander with its stalks. Common mistake: following the old habit of standing the bottle in the sun to "cure"; raw garlic and herbs are not safe at room temperature, so let the flavours marry in the fridge instead. Wear gloves and keep the blender lid on. It is ready after 2–3 days in the fridge, when the colour turns from bright to olive and the raw garlic edge has softened. Chef's tip: salt and squeeze the grated papaya before adding it, so it does not water the sauce down.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 9 oz scotch bonnet or congo peppersabout 20
- 1 oz shado beni (culantro) leavesor 60 g coriander with stalks
- 1 head garlicabout 40 g, cloves peeled
- 2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 ½ oz green papaya (optional)peeled and seeded; or green mango
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Sterilise a 750 ml jar and lid: boil them for 10 minutes, then drain upside down on a clean rack until dry.
10 minStep 2: Put on gloves. Pull the stalks off 9 oz scotch bonnet or congo peppers; for a little less heat, cut out the seeds of half of them. Wash 1 oz shado beni (culantro) leaves and dry it well; peel 1 head garlic.
10 minStep 3: If using, grate 5 ½ oz green papaya, toss with a pinch of the 2 tsp salt and leave for 5 minutes, then squeeze it hard in a cloth.
5 minStep 4: Blend the peppers, culantro and garlic with 2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard, ¾ cup white vinegar (at least 5% acidity), ¼ cup lime juice and the remaining salt into a fine but slightly rough sauce, keeping the lid on and your face away when you open it.
3 minStep 5: Stir in the papaya, spoon into the jar and pour 3 ½ tbsp white vinegar (at least 5% acidity) over the top. Close and refrigerate.
Step 6: Leave in the fridge 2–3 days before using, until the colour turns olive and the garlic tastes mellow. Keep it chilled for up to 2 months, using a clean dry spoon. Discard it if it fizzes, bulges the lid, grows mould or smells off.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 10 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does trini pepper sauce take?
- About 25 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 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 garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of white vinegar (at least 5% acidity)?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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