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Gail Watson

Homemade HOT sauce~ and my favorite way to eat it

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Sweet and Hot- that’s how I like it. I’ve put these two hot concoctions on a pedestal because seriously, that’s where they belong.
Let me first say that I have always been pretty much a fan of fire and spice. Perhaps it’s my Latina roots, but my relationship with my Louisianaian fiancee, and our month long trip to Thailand, has completely changed my definition- and appreciation– for spicy. A few months before taking that trip I prepared by upping my spicey in increments. I am really happy I did. I was able to really enjoy everything I ate there (and I pretty much ate EVERYTHING). It was also a walking start to the leap that my tolerance level attained as the trip progressed.
The first sauce is the fantastically hot and sweet sauce that I spoke about in my recent post here. It’s a kick tuckus sauce that gives you back some love with a vinegary sweet kiss. It’s awesome. It’s addictive. You’ve been warned. It’s Sweet Thai Chili sauce, but not that super sticky sweet stuff that you get in aisle 7 at the supermarket. That’s Baby chili and it cries in single notes. This is Mama’s sauce and it sings a full chord.
In that afore mentioned previous post I spoke about my favorite Gai Yahng spot in the Neiman Heyman area of Chiang Mai. It’s a hole in the wall sort of place that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Below is a picture of the grill master at the helm.  The fiancee says he’s been working that grill every day of the 5 years she lived there and has always (and still) wearing a knit cap. A remarkable thing considering it’s rarely below 90˚ and standing over that grill don’t make it no cooler!
The grill produces great banks of billowing smoke that is blown right out onto the street. You can spot the place from quite a ways away because of it.  The chicken is served with sticky rice and a side of Som Tom- Papaya Salad and, of course, a bowl of hot sauce. The chicken and rice are eaten with your fingers for the best flavor . One  of my favorite aspects of this place is a water bucket with a dented tin cup that is nailed to a tree. It sits above the water trough that funnels into the street. After devouring our plates of deliciousness you just dip into that bucket and pour water over your hands to wash them. Call me crazy, but I just love that. A wave to the grill master and then we can head off into the day.
I made my own version of Gai Yahng, which is quite tasty. Sadly my NYC kitchen does not have a charcol grill so I roasted my chicken instead. The chicken was first marinated overnight, though a few hours is fine. The marinate is made from the stems and some leaves of cilantro and this combined with some fish sauce gives it that unique Thai flavor. Don’t get me wrong, this is delicious with our without the grill. I dove right in and enjoyed every bite, and then walked to the sink with my sticky hands in the air to rinse them off.
Gai Yahng Chicken with a side of sticky rice and HOT sauce.

My next favorite Chili concoction, though not exactly a sauce is Foodie with Family‘s “Cowboy Candy”. Fresh jalepenos are used instead of dried chilies. The technique is the same, and it produces a slightly sweeter and tangier chili with a manageable fire.

I just LOVE these and really like the look of the rings too. You can put these babies on just about anything- but a ham sandwich? oh yes. Cream cheese on baguette? sure. I’m thinking atop a turkey burger would be good but I haven’t tried it.. yet.
The real bonus of making this “candy” is that there is quite a bit of the syrupy sauce left after putting the peppers into the jar. Later that day during my late afternoon couch respite, it struck me that there was a tequila cocktail in my near future with that spicy tangy juice as the feature.
I grabbed a glass, squeezed 2 fresh limes into it, added a serious glug of tequila and then topped it out with a half glug of the juice. The result?…….HOOOOOWEEEEE!  oh yeah baby- that’s the stuff. A splash of seltzer would also be good if you liked it just a step back, but the fire of the chilies, combined with the smokiness of the tequila was just all slap happy to be conjoined with vinegary sweetness. I may just start bottling this stuff- I’m thinking stocking stuffers….

Sweet Hot Thai Chili Sauce
 
1 c sugar
1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 c water
2 T chopped garlic
1 t salt
3/4 c pureed red chilies or Sambal Oelek (prepared chili sauce)
 
Combine sugar, vinegar, water, garlic and salt in a sauce pan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer on low for about 10 mins. You should be left with a thin syrup that will thicken as it cools.
 
To make your own pureed chilies- take about 4 c of dried red chilies- I get this pretty cheaply in Chinatown. They come in big bags for a few bucks. Remove any stems and then place in a heatproof bowl and cover with some hot to boiling water. Let them sit for about 4 mins to get them softened.
 
Place the chilies in a food processor and give them a whirl. Take care to stand back and not breathe in the chili oils that get released. Though not lethal, they will invoke unsightly coughing attacks. If the mix is a bit too dry you can add in some of the soaking water to get a paste going. Don’t worry about adding too much, it’s all good in the end. If you were a proper Thai chef you would get out your mortar and pestle and pound those chilies into submission. If you get the chance give it a try one day- there is beauty in watching a ruby red paste materialize. It’s zen. It’s good.
 
After the syrup is prepared you can put the chilies right in and give it a good stir.
 
And that’s all there is to it. 
 
You can get yourself some fancy pants bottles, but the Thai’s use whatever they got on hand. I used my leftover vinegar bottle. There is poetry in that.
 
Store in the fridge and consume within a month or so.
 
 
For the Cowboy Candy recipe please visit Foodie with Family.
 
 
Gai Yahng Marinade
 
3 T coarsely chopped fresh cilantro roots and stems
3 T chopped fresh garlic
2 T soy sauce
2 T fish sauce
1t salt
 
Place all ingredients into a blender and blitz into a puree. If necessary you can add water if needed. Conversely, place cilantro and garlic in mortar and pestle and pound into a paste. Add sauces.
 
Place chicken parts into a large plastic bag and pour marinade in and turn chicken to coat. You can put this into a bowl, but you really want this marinade to get all in there, so go for the bag.
 
Grill chicken on BBQ or roast the chicken at 350˚ to doneness ~40 mins.

Fresh Fig Cake

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Is there anything more elegant than a fig? I just love the deep purple color of it’s delicate skin giving way to ruby fruit inside. They say that when figs are ripe on the tree that they drip their sweet juice. How sensual is that?
Though what I really love about figs is that my Maternal Grandmother, Louisa, had a tree growing right outside her kitchen door. My Grandparents had a modest house in suburban New Hyde Park, NY. I remember coming in through the side gate into the patio along the side of the house. One would pass that tree as you took the steps up into the kitchen. As a child I couldn’t help gently touching those big mitt shaped leaves.
My Grandfather, Joseph, who died when I was a wee babe, was an avid gardener and worked that backyard himself. There are old faded snapshots of him- a very smart, proud and sincere man who emigrated here from Spain at the young age of 16, tending to his rows of vegetables. Many of the photos of my Grandfather show a serious man, but the pictures of him in his garden, wearing white shirt and suspenders, were relaxed and happy.
His family were grocers back in Valencia. They sold cured meats, pickles, olives in the great market. The market is still going strong today, though the family no longer has a stall. There was no family from Spain here, but my Puerto Rican Grandmothers family was. I am told that he would cook Sunday supper for everyone. The cousins, mostly from The Bronx, would gather and he would make paella. In the Hispanic culture big Sunday gatherings are hugely important. Long afternoons after church are spent relaxing, eating and drinking until the day ran out and it was time to put sleepy children into the back seats of cars and head home.
He had a legacy of sharing his hard work and success with this family. Unbeknownst to my Grandmother he sent money to the family in Spain who desperately needed it. It kept them from starving, it sent children to school and to college. For his wife and three children he moved them out to Long Island, Nassau County, which was big doings in those days. To live out of the city in the suburbs was moving up and a real accomplishment for a man who came to this country as a boy penniless.
It was he, that strong, stern, purposed man that planted that tree for my Grandmother. Tender acts of love. I wish I had known him.
So when rich purple jeweled figs appear in the markets I am more than compelled to reach for a basket and place it in my cart.
As a cake baker by trade it’s not in my habit to make cake for myself to have around the house. I do like scones though, and tea cakes and things of that sort. I have hankering for some scones, but somehow didn’t want individual blobs. I had noticed my long tart pan in the cabinet that hadn’t been used in awhile and thought it would be fun to make something in that.
Poking around I came across Heidi Swanson’s recipe for Buttermilk Cake in her latest cookbook, Super Natural Everyday. She made hers in a tart pan, (round), and used plums for her fruit. If you don’t own this cookbook than, uh…why not? Heidi is awesome, everyone says so, including me.
The cake is not overly sweet and made with whole wheat flour and a zing lemon zest. I made a few tweaks with my version, but it’s essentially the same. (it’s just so hard to EVER tell me what to do.)
The result was just what I was looking for. A simple easy eating treat that showcased my figs. The lemon zest gave it a refreshing lift to offset the earthiness of the whole wheat. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Enjoy!

Ruffled Eggs with Hot Sauce

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Ruffled eggs with Hot Sauce and Scallion Polenta

Yesterday I felt compelled to make a fresh batch of chili sauce. I promise the recipe tomorrow- but looking at that beautiful sauce I couldn’t help thinking about putting it over poached eggs.
Dorie Greenspan posted this recipe for this method of making beautiful poached eggs and I decided to give it a try.
They are not difficult to make and I just love how they come out looking like little parcels. The beautiful folds are so gorgeous and are just perfect for giving the chili sauce something to cling to.
A fun and easy little twist that just started my day out with a present! It’s going to be a great day!!
Ruffle Poached Eggs and Scallion Polenta
 
First make the polenta. My trick is to make it in a rice cooker. Not only do I not have to monitor it, but the clean up is fantastically easy.
 
Just follow the directions to make polenta- about 4c worth, and then at the end stir in 2 chopped scallion. Turn the hot polenta onto a dish or lined baking tray and allow to cool before cutting. While the polenta was cooling I tackled the eggs.
 
For the eggs start with two pieces of plastic wrap and lightly oil. You may use butter here if you like. Dorie talks about sticking herbs and spices to the wrap before adding the egg, sounds like an interesting idea for another day.
 
I placed the plastic into a ramekin and then cracked the egg into them. I then cinched up the bundle and gave it a tight twist at the top.
 
In a pot of water on simmer I gently lowered in the sacks. I let them set up for about 30 seconds before letting the wrap go into the water. For nicely poached eggs I cooked them for 4 1/2 minutes.
 
With a slotted spoon I pulled out the packets and carefully unwrapped the eggs. With the spoon I rolled the poached eggs onto the spoon and then onto the plate.
 
The hot chili with the eggs along with the corn-y polenta and scallions was heaven.