Author Notes
My family is crazy about spicy food. So much so that my dad makes his own chili pepper sauce on a regular basis. His sauce is very complex and we have a hard time finding fresh chili peppers in the Bay Area that are hot enough to satisfy him. Once in a while, we get a very precious delivery of thai chili peppers from a friends relative in San Diego that are off the charts. When we do we make this simple version that is big on heat and flavor. We end up using it on everything and it is especially good with noodles or rice dishes. Watch out though....it is addictive. —monkeymom
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Ingredients
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8
shallots, finely minced
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8
garlic cloves, minced
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60
thai red chili peppers
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1-3 tablespoons
soy sauce
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1/2 cup
good quality light olive oil
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salt
Directions
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Wear gloves when handling chili peppers. Grab the chili pepper by the stem and slice the chili pepper thinly.
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Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a small sauce pan on medium high heat. Turn on the vent fan to high.
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Add the shallots and sauté until the shallot is translucent.
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Add garlic. Stir until fragrant.
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Add the sliced chili peppers and the remaining oil and sauté.
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Add 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
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Turn the heat to low, add 1/4 cup more oil and sauté gently for 15 minutes. The shallots and garlic should become more caramelized and brown.
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Be brave and use a small spoon to taste as it cooks. Or take some kind of vegetable and dip into the sauce. You need to taste it to determine if it needs more soy or some salt.
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Add seasoning to taste. It needs enough salt for the flavor of the shallots and garlic to come through. You can decide if you like the soy sauce flavor and add more or just add salt if it has enough soy flavor. You can add more oil at this point if you want to dilute the heat level.
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Turn off the heat and let the chili pepper sauce cool to room temperature. You can store this in a jar for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
My favorite distraction is to cook. Though science and cooking/baking have a lot in common, I'm finding that each allows me to enjoy very different parts of my life. Cooking connects me with my heritage, my family, friends, and community. I'm really enjoying learning from the food52 community, who expose me to different ingredients and new ways to cook.
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