Condimentaholism

I am a condimentaholoic. An addict. Tragically hooked. No meal is safe from a sauce or spread or sprinkle or dip. I've got something for every food and it's reaching the point of obsession.

I smear dijon on my roasted chicken, dip duck into plum sauce, and toss steamed green beans in vinegar. I've got mint jelly for lamb, horseradish cream for beef, and tartare for fish. I can't imagine tonkatsu without bulldog sauce, nor fries without ketchup, nor a Thai curry without fish sauce. Condiments pepper my pantry in bottles and jars and pots and bags, outnumbering nearly everything else combined. An entire shelf in my fridge is dedicated to them – mango chutney next to hoisin just in front of sambal somewhere near the mayonnaise over by the gherkin relish. I could create an entire section for those I have made myself, herding together the blood orange marmalade, the pickled cherries, the fig chutney, and more. I own flavored vinegars, preserved lemons, smoked salts, and spice mixes, all vying for space with the poor flour and sugar. Each has a purpose, and each is loved dearly.

However, one condiment is undisputedly king; I reach for that bottle more often than any other by a factor of ten. Hot sauce. Fiery, tangy, salty, sweet, I toss it on pastas and eggs and sandwiches and stews.



I, of course, have preferences as to what kind of hot sauce I use. Unfortunately for me, the only vinegary hot sauce generally on offer in Australia is Tabasco – passable, but nothing earth shattering. What I really want is a sauce that will add spice to my meal, but is not unbearably hot, is quite vinegary, and possess some of the sweetness of a good, fresh chili. My poor parents are going broke shipping boxes of my favorite brand to me from the states.

Keeping my parents' financial well-being in mind, and considering I burn through litres of the stuff annually, I figured I might consider learning how to make my own hot sauce.



Roasting a few of the chilies adds the slightest smoky hint to this sauce. Upon tasting the finished product I was surprised at how sweet it is when it first hits the palate, but this quickly gives way to a wonderfully balanced spiciness.

500g cayenne peppers, stems removed
500ml distilled white vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp sea salt flakes

Roast five of the cayenne chillies over a flame, blistering and blackening their skin all over. Cool them and remove the blackened skin. Combine these with the rest of the chilies, garlic, salt, and vinegar and blend until smooth.

Store in a jar for 3 weeks. Strain the hot sauce into jars and seal. (And make some extra room in your pantry.)