Nahm Prik Pao (Roasted Chile Paste)
De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.
Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup small dried red chilies such as chiles de Arbol or chiles japones (about 32), stemmed, halved crosswise and loosely packed, about 1/2 oz.
A generous 1/2 cup unpeeled shallots, cut lengthwise into chunks, about 3 ounces
1/4 cup unpeeled garlic cloves (8 to 10 large cloves)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. palm sugar or brown sugar
3 Tbsp. Tamarind Liquid*
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
Instructions:
In a wok or a small, heavy skillet, dry-fry the chiles over medium-low heat until they darken and become fragrant and brittle, 3 to 5 minutes. Shake the pan and stir frequently as they roast. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate to cool.
Increase the heat to medium and dry-fry the shallots and garlic, turning them occasionally, until they are softened, wilted, and blistered, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to the plate to cool.
Stem the chiles and shake out and discard most of the seeds. Crumble the chiles into small pieces. Trim the shallots and garlic, discarding the peel and root ends, and chop coarsely. Combine the chiles, shallots and garlic in a mini processor or blender, and pulse to a coarse paste, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil and grind to a fairly smooth paste. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Pour the remaining 1/4 cup oil into the wok or a skillet. Place over medium heat until a bit of the paste added to the pan sizzles at once, about 1 minute. Add the ground chile paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste gradually darkens and releases a rich fragrance, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Combine the sugar, tamarind, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl and stir well. Add this mixture to the cooled chile paste and stir to combine. The paste will be quite oily, and must be well stirred before each use. Transfer to a jar, cap tightly, and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Use at room temperature in recipes or as a condiment.
Recipe from www.globalgourmet.com