ristra hot-sauce
February 18, 2012RISTRA – n – an arrangement of drying chile pepper pods
i think it’s finally time to cut down one of the beautiful ristras i made last summer with garden jalapenos and thai chilis!
process:
cut down chiles
rinse dried chiles
toast twice as many as you’ll need at 250 for 10 mins or pan-fry until puffy (EASILY BURNED! TURN OFTEN! BURNING RUINS HOT SAUCE!)
grind half into chile powder; keep in an airproof container for later use. you’ll thank me later. come on, you have your food processor out already!
then take 10 pods and simmer in a cup or two of water for about ten minutes.
taste chile water. if bitter, replace with 1-2 c fresh water.
puree. strain out seeds for a milder version.
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what i actually did:
hot chile puree
roasted carrots
roasted bell pepper
roasted summer squash
roasted garlic
fresh parsley
lime juice
roasted coriander
lime pickles
ginger juice
salt
brine from lacto-fermented green tomatoes and garlic
mango juice
awesome. super-sweet. could be sourer. next time, i might add some live vinegar.
fried sig 
You know how to take things to the next level. Ginger, pickle juice, toasted dried peppers? I’d eat this by the spoonful.