Stocks & Sauces

Ultimate hot sauce recipe

Hot sauce is a permanent fixture at the Jamaican jerk pits spread across the island. My ultimate hot sauce recipe, featuring Scotch bonnets, which are abundant in Jamaica – their fruity, hot flavour is never far from a plate. Often, those unfamiliar with Jamaican food perceive it to be overwhelmingly spicy, but it’s a lesson in balance. This sauce reflects that – hot, fresh, zingy, sweet, and savoury all at once. It’s the perfect accompaniment to jerked meats, fish, and seafood alongside roasted breadfruit, plantain, or festival dumpling.

A small pot of Melissa Thompson's hot pepper sauce the recipe was originally printed in her book Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook

Makes about 250ml

Ingredients

Method

  1. Wearing food-approved gloves, de-stem the Scotch bonnet chillies and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder sauce. Do not attempt this with bare hands.
  2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-low heat, then add the Scotch bonnets, garlic, red pepper, and onion. Sweat for 10-minutes, being careful not to let them colour.
  3. Next, add the thyme, pimento, pepper, cinnamon, and salt, and cook for another 5-minutes, adding a little more oil if necessary.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1-hour.
  5. Blend to your desired consistency, pour into sterilised glass containers, and seal while hot. The sauce will keep for up to 3-months.

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