F-16 afterburner

2 cups

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
½Dried ancho chile
2Fresh red Dutch, Thai, or Jalapeno chilies
16Fresh Scotch bonnet or Habanero chilies, preferably orange or golden yellow
2cupsCoarsly chopped yellow onion
14mediumsGarlic cloves
2teaspoonsFresh lemon juice
11teaspoonsAmber or light rum
2cupsDistilled white vinegar
½teaspoonDried oregano

Directions

Submerge the ancho in hot water and soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Chop ancho finely and reserve. Roast and peel the Dutch chile; stem, seed and chop finely.

Stem and seed the Scotch bonnets, leaving the inner membranes (and, if desired, a few seeds). Combine Scotch bonnets with onion and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Combine lemon juice, rum and vinegar in a non-reactive pan and bring to a boil.

Pour liquid into processor, add the oregano and Dutch chile, and process lightly. Add the ancho teaspoon by teaspoon, processing briefly in between, pulsing only enough to obtain a smooth, yellow-orange sauce, highlighted by red flecks. Keeps refrigerated up to six weeks.

Michelle Hancock's column appears August 10, 1994 in the Fort Worth Star Telegram

NOTES: Ancho peppers are very mild. I had no luck finding red jalapeno peppers here in the American outback and red Thai peppers tend to be much hotter than needed... so I used green jalapenos and got green flecks instead of red. A little of this goes a long way.

Submitted By DAVE DRUM On 01-23-95 (1139)