Pepper Sauce

Recipe from Lesley Enston

Adapted by Korsha Wilson

Updated Oct. 2, 2024

Pepper Sauce
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
12 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Rating
5(27)
Comments
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Throughout the English and French-speaking Caribbean, homemade pepper sauce in glass jars or plastic bottles are an important part of the tablescape, kept within reach to add a burst of fruity, sharp heat to whatever is being eaten. This version, from cookbook author Lesley Enston, is earthy thanks to the addition of culantro, a fresh herb not to be confused with cilantro. From island to island, and even household to household, the recipe varies, but Scotch bonnets, the brightly colored bonnet-shaped chiles native to the region, are a must. Feel free to play around with this sauce to create one that matches your tastes, adjusting the seasonings or adding a pinch of a spice like clove or nutmeg. Keep a jar on hand to add a teaspoon or so to dishes from the Caribbean like braised oxtails or to serve as a condiment for dishes like fried snapper with Creole sauce. —Korsha Wilson

Featured in: How Caribbean Pepper Sauce Gets Its Fire

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Ingredients

Yield:Just over 1 cup
  • 15Scotch bonnet chiles, halved lengthwise, seeds intact
  • 3seasoning peppers or Anaheim or Cubanelle peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds removed (optional; see Tip)
  • 1head of garlic, cloves smashed and peeled
  • 6culantro leaves (see Tip) or ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, roughly chopped
  • ½cup apple cider vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1heaping tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1½teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or ¾ teaspoon fine salt
  • 1teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

235 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 23 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 1488 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process for a few minutes until completely blended and almost smooth but still a touch chunky like a smoother chutney. If you want, taste and adjust the seasonings.

  2. Step 2

    Transfer to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator to infinity. (If the sauce smells or looks off, it should be thrown out.)

Tips
  • Seasoning peppers are commonplace in Latin and Caribbean cooking, offering an earthy, slightly fruity bite similar to Scotch bonnets without the heat. Find them at your local Latin, Caribbean or African market. They can be frozen and kept for a few months or stay at room temperature for a few days and make a great addition to escovitch or any recipe that calls for bell peppers.
  • Culantro, also called chado beni, is cilantro’s earthier cousin used in Caribbean cooking to provide a punch of bright, vegetal flavor that adds a great background note to marinades and soups. You can find culantro at Latin and Caribbean markets. Keep the leaves wrapped in a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out.

Ratings

5 out of 5
27 user ratings
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Comments

Caitlin

I live in Southern California, so I substituted habaneros for the scotch bonnets and cilantro for the culantro. It is absolutely delicious. As with most hot sauces, wear gloves while handling cut peppers or you will be sorry! The Times should add a note about gloves to the recipe.

Andy

Scotch bonnets have the best flavor, but that being said, this recipe does not flatter them. The recipe as is, with 'seeds intact' is unbearably hot without offering the nice flavor of the chilis. I tried a second batch, removing the seeds, and the sauce was better. The best way to use scotch bonnet in a soup is not with this sauce but rather to put 1-3 whole chilis into the pot, without breaking them up. Remove before eating. Scotch bonnets can be frozen whole and last for a year or more.

Hawthorpe L. Pjonkinsteiler

mmm yummy yummy big delicious i eat i get happy

Matthew

Love it! I grew my own scotch bonnets and scorpions this year, and this was the perfect use for 18+ of them. Yes, wear gloves! It is hot...but that's the point.

Liza R.

Very tasty! Ended up deseeding my scotch bonnets, and used only around 6 or 7 with this recipe, but otherwise sticker with the recipe. Extremely pleased with the results.

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Credits

Adapted from Lesley Enston

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