Spicy Bitter Orange Vinegar and Sauce
This Caribbean pepper is famous for being the hottest chile pepper in the world. They come in a variety of shapes and colors(yellow, orange,green, red,chocolate). Not only are they extremely hot, but they also have a unique,distinctively fruity flavor.
It is the key ingredient in the popular Jamaican Jerk sauce. The habanero is also widely used in many different types of hot sauces. The popularity of this chile pepper continues to grow and is becoming easier to find on the grocery shelf.
Ingredients:
A large clean glass bottle or jar
5 bitter oranges
10 scotch bonnet peppers, halved
3 cloves of garlic, halved
3 sprigs of fresh oregano
A sprig of thyme (optional)
1/2 tsp of kosher salt
Instructions:
Wash bottle or jar with hot soapy water, rinse well, and let dry completely.
Wash the sour oranges and halve. Squeeze the juice and sieve.
To make the vinegar:
Fill up the bottle and add the remaining ingredients. Macerate for a few days in the refrigerator.
To make the sauce:
Mix the bitter orange juice with the remaining ingredients (only use the leaves of the herbs), and blend until it turns into a coarse paste. Keep refrigerated. Use to season stews (usually it is put on the table so each person adds enough to their liking.