Hot sauces have been around since humans started eating chilli peppers, and popular since someone figured out how good they taste. In fact, the Aztecs are known to be the first group to use chilli peppers as long as 9000 years ago.

Within decades of contact with Spain and Portugal in the 16th century, the American plant was carried across Europe and into Africa and Asia, and altered through selective breeding.

Since then, hot sauce has taken on many different styles, from the hot sauce of The Americas, to chilli sauces and pastes from Asia, the varieties seem endless!

Now for the challenge:
Create your own Hot Chilli Sauce….this can be a simple hot sauce, a chilli paste, you can experiment with various flavours whether it be with fruit, vegetables, spices or green chillis…the sky is the limit!

We recommend for this challenge creating a fermented hot sauce; it lasts longer and has more depth of flavour, plus it has good beneficial bacteria for your gut bio.

Nathan has provided three recipes for inspiration below.

So all you have to do is:
Create it, name it, bottle it, and when the Club re-opens, we will taste it – with a blind tasting comp to choose the winner of the inaugural Tattersalls Hot Chilli Trophy!

To ask Chef Nathan any questions please email him at chef@tattersallsclub.org

Ingredients:

500g long red chillis for a milder heat or 500gm birds eye chillis for a more intense heat- or try 50/50 blend for a medium heat
2-3 garlic cloves peeled
3 cups water
3 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon xantham gum (available at Coles and Woolworths)

Method:

Using gloves, roughly cut chillis and garlic and place them into a jar.

Mix water and salt and pour into the jar – use enough of this brine to cover the chillis and garlic, pressing down as you go. The chillis must be covered to avoid spoilage.

Place lid on and keep away from direct sunlight for at least 1-2 weeks.

Be sure to check it daily as it will need burping to release gases built up from the fermentation process.
*If you are using a regular lid and ring, be sure to “burp” the jar every day or two to release the pressure (CO2). To do this, simply twist the lid a little until you hear or feel the pressure releasing (this may not happen the first time or two). After 1-2 weeks, activity will slow down and the brine will go cloudy and taste acidic.

Pour the chillis and the brine into a pot along with the vinegar, bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Now leave to cool and then blend using a food processor or a hand stick blender. When smooth, add the xantham gum and blend for 1 minute.

Taste and add either salt or sugar or vinegar if needed, depending on your taste buds
*You don’t need to use xanthan gum, you can just give the bottle a shake before you use it, but it is a food stabiliser it will help to get your sauce looking smooth and store brought, and won’t split.

Ingredients:

300g Habanero chillis deseeded and roughly chopped (gloves are a must here)
400g pineapple peeled and roughly chopped
1 yellow capsicum deseeded and chopped
3 peeled garlic cloves and chopped
1 thumb worth of ginger peeled chopped
3 cups water
3 tablespoons salt
250mls white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon xantham gum

Method:

Using gloves!!! Add chillis, pineapple, capsicum, garlic, ginger, salt and water to a jar making sure the water/salt brine is covering the ingredients to avoid spoilage.

Place away from direct sunlight for at least 1-2 weeks.

Make sure that you are burping the jars daily to release the gas buildup.
*If you are using a regular lid and ring, be sure to “burp” the jar every day or two to release the pressure (CO2). To do this, simply twist the lid a little until you hear or feel the pressure releasing (this may not happen the first time or two).

When fermentation activity has stopped and the jar has gone cloudy, blend until smooth.

Add to pot with vinegar and simmer for 15 minutes.

Cool and blend using a food processor or a hand stick blender. When smooth add xanthan gum and blend for 1 minute more.

Check taste if it’s to your liking.

Bottle, label and refrigerate.

Ingredients:

300g long red chilli’s
200g birds eye chilli’s
2 tablespoons salt
2 cups water
100mls white vinegar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon xantham gum

Method:

Roughly chop chillis, seeds are ok to keep or you can discard if you want. Place in jar and add the salt and water brine to cover mixture.

Place away from direct sunlight for at least 1-2 weeks.

Make sure that you are burping the jars daily to release the gas buildup.
*If you are using a regular lid and ring, be sure to “burp” the jar every day or two to release the pressure (CO2). To do this, simply twist the lid a little until you hear or feel the pressure releasing (this may not happen the first time or two).

When fermentation activity has stopped and the jar has gone cloudy, strain the brine from the chilli’s, then blend the chillis until smooth.

Add to a pot 1 tablespoons of oil then add garlic, stir until fragrant and changing colour, now add ginger and chill mixture plus all other ingredients, plus 1 cup of the brine and simmer for 5 minutes or until right consistency.

Let mixture cool then blend again with xantham gum until smooth.

Check taste if it’s to your liking.

Bottle, label and refrigerate.