Thai-style chili sauce

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• n. B. Chili pepper(s), hot, red, from the Asian store
• e.g. fish sauce

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 15 minutes

In Thai restaurants that cook and season authentically, you’ll often see small pots of sauce containing many small chili pieces. This is nothing other than fish sauce with chili. Chili fans have long appreciated it. Fish sauce has a relatively high salt content and therefore keeps well even without refrigeration once opened. I modified this chili sauce slightly for my own personal use to achieve consistent heat, a more intense flavor, and a longer shelf life. It also serves as the basis for a homemade sambal, the recipe for which I will post soon. The preparation is incredibly simple: Freeze the chilies, cut them into pieces with scissors while frozen, removing the stems. Place the chilies in a tall, narrow container that just fits a hand blender. Pour enough fish sauce over the chilies so that they just barely peek out. Blend with a hand blender until you get a sauce. Tip: Wear goggles or safety glasses—chilli splashes in your eyes are hell! The finished sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for many weeks. If you’ve made a larger batch, we recommend pouring the finished sauce into twist-off jars of the desired serving size and heating them uncovered in the oven at just under 100°C (do not boil). Then screw on the lid and let it cool. In my experience, storing the sauce in twist-off jars increases the flavor and spiciness.