''Fresh'' Sriracha - homemade hot sauce

I recently made "fresh" (unfermented) sriracha after hearing about the popular "Rooster Sauce" or "Hipster Ketchup" on a couple of my favorite podcasts. I based my sauce on the technique from Food52, with some changes for my palette.

0. Before you begin handling the chilis, put on gloves and do not remove them until you have washed the cutting board and knife after step 2.

1. Coarsely chop:

• 3/4 lb (1/3 kg) red chili peppers
• 4 cloves of garlic

2. Soak overnight in:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar (or enough to just barely cover the chilis after you squeeze them down)
• 1 tsp sea salt

3. The next day add:

• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp tamari or good soy sauce (optional)
• a few drops of mushroom sauce or fish sauce (optional)

4. Simmer for 5-15 minutes. Blend well. (I used a hand-held stick blender.)

5. Pour the sauce through a mesh strainer. Use a spatula to squeeze out every last drop. Scrape the bottom of the strainer.


Bottle, share, enjoy!

Personally, I love it. But I'm not much of a hot sauce connoisseur. I have a low tolerance for heat and gave most of my batch to a couple friends. I'm waiting to hear their verdict. I think mine must be milder than the "Rooster Sauce" made buy Huy Fong Foods, as illustrated in the comic from The Oatmeal.

It's excellent on potatoes, fries, and anywhere you would use ketchup. And you can mix it with mayonnaise and use it on sandwiches or in chicken salad.