TOO HOT !!

Just making Green chili tomatillo sauce and it is far too hot! I added two hot chilies and should only have been one! How can I lighten up the sauce? I am making Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce.

jeanette Caros
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8 Comments

Nancy June 4, 2015
for this and other cases where you've added too much spice, see this cute graphic:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-3109175/How-make-hot-food-taste-spicy.html
 
Nancy June 4, 2015
for this and other cases where you've added too much spice, see this cute graphic:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-3109175/How-make-hot-food-taste-spicy.html
 
Kristen W. August 27, 2012
Yes, I've read about the endorphin lift and addictive properties of capsaicin. Huh, didn't know that about it's interaction with alcohol though. Perhaps alcohol amplifies the endorphin lift from capsaicin? I'm trying to guess why, other than temperature -- which I'm sure is a factor -- the pairing of beer with hot food seems so natural.
 
chefsusie August 27, 2012
I would make more sauce with no spice. Mix the two, divide in half. Freeze half for another meal.
 
ChefOno August 26, 2012

Capsaicin is insoluble in cold water, but freely soluble in alcohol and vegetable oils. However, a cold beer or mixed drink contains too small a percentage of alcohol to wash away much capsaicin and can actually make matters worse. Milk is the best answer due to the protein casein, a lipophilic (fat-loving) substance that surrounds and washes away the fatty capsaicin molecules in much the same way that soap washes away grease.

But don't be too quick to put out the fire. Capsaicin excites the nervous system into producing endorphins which promote a pleasant sense of well-being. The endorphin lift makes spicy foods mildly addictive and even an obsession for some.



 
Kristen W. August 26, 2012
ChefOno, is that true about alcohol and capsaicin? It's always seemed to me that a swig of beer after a bite of hot food takes the edge off the heat, and not entirely because beer is served cold (ice-cold water doesn't have the same effect, for example).
 
ChefOno August 25, 2012

Remember you won't be consuming the sauce by itself; the enchiladas will help tone down the heat in combination. If you're really in trouble, crème fraîche, with its higher fat content, will work even better than sour cream.

Alcohol only helps if consumed prior to capsaicin if you get my drift (not that I'm disagreeing with Liz's suggestion).

 
Lizthechef August 25, 2012
Bake and garnish with lots of full-fat sour cream. Serve corn chips and gaucamole. Both ideas will dilute the heat. I would serve margaritas while you are at it...No salt.
 
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