Salsa Arrabbiata (Homemade Hot Pepper Sauce)

This recipe used chiles bought a store that caters to local Hispanic people and the inventory is both Italian and Hispanic people. Although the ingredient list includes ripe poblano chiles, I'm not sure that's what they were because I've seen mislabeled produce at the store in the past. These chiles looked like elongated red bell peppers and were larger than poblanos that I've seen in other store. I tasted the placenta of one of the chiles and it was hot.

Note that no sugar has been added, and it is not sweet. This sauce is viscous and can be thinned with water or vinegar. It can be used in sandwiches, soups, and stews.

Salsa Arrabbiata^†

Hot Pepper Sauce – made with ripe red poblanos and bhut jolokia chiles

Made Saturday night 26Mar11

5 Ripe poblanos, roasted and peeled

2½ steamed ghost peppers (bhut jolokia)

5 microwaved* garlic cloves

~ 1 tablespoon cumin

½ teaspoon coriander

Kosher salt, 2 or 3 pinches

1 inch chunk fresh ginger root, peeled, thinly sliced and microwaved*

Olive oil and 1 shot glass water added resulting in desired viscosity

Combine all ingredients in a wide-mouthed glass jar that will accommodate an immersion blender. Blend until fine and desired consistency is achieved. Store covered in the fridge.

^† The Italians use ‘arrabbiata’ with culinary names to indicate spiciness. Arrabbiata means 'angry' in Italian, and the term just tickled my funny bone.

* Microwaving partially cooks the garlic and sliced fresh ginger so that they are more easily processed by immersion blender.