Flaming Arrow - Apache Hot Sauce Recipe

[British Red]

Hot sauce is a thing I find to be a mixed blessing. It does risk the sort of foolish machismo chilli based games that give chilli a bad name. However it is a really convenient way to transport heat and flavour to spice up a meal when "out and about".

My Darling Wife is a great fan of hot sauce - Encona Hot being her favourite on a good steak

We are always seeking to stop "buying" and start "making" to further our lifestyle. This year we have a huge surplus of "Apache" chillies, so I decided to experiment to see if I could make something worthy of the name "Hot Sauce".

Step 1 - pick half a pound of Apache chillis

Apache CHillis by British Red, on Flickr

Step 2 - Cut away the stalks and split lengthways. Keep all the pith and seeds in!

Destalk and Split by British Red, on Flickr

Prepared Chillis by British Red, on Flickr

Step 3 Add 2 pints of raw cider vinegar, a head of garlic and 4tsp of sea salt

Salt, Garlic and Vinegar by British Red, on Flickr

Step 4 Combine the ingredients in a pan

In Pan by British Red, on Flickr

Step 5 Simmer until volume reduces by half

Poach to half by British Red, on Flickr

Step 6 Blend until smooth.

Do Not Use a Stick Blender. I splashed some of this on my hand and rubbed the skin on the back of my neck with that hand. I wondered for a while if I would need medical attention. Seriously.

Liquidise by British Red, on Flickr

Step 7 - Bottle

Bottled by British Red, on Flickr

This recipe gives just over a pint.

Now a dip of this on my tongue was WAY too hot for me. My wife loved it but described it as "many times hotter than Encona". She feels to use it, it needs to be in a recipe or mixed with a little yoghurt. That said she said "its a keeper".

We named it "Flaming Arrow" as we wanted something the acknowledges something hot that came from Apaches

 

[Clouston98]

Great pictoral! I couldn't handle that though. I'm a spice wuss. Looks great in moderation though!

 

[Mesquite]

Sounds great Hugh

 

[santaman2000]

Excellent post. Thanks for sharing, I'm going to have to try this. How long do you age it? If at all?

As for using it in a recipe, do you think she, or you, would like Buffalo wings? The basic recipe is simple:


-Mix hot sauce with an equal amount of melted butter
-Disjoint about a dozen chicken wings into three pieces each (tip, middle, and drumette) and remove the tip for later use in another recipe
-Deep fry the remaining pieces (uncoated) and drain
-Toss the wings in the sauce and serve with sides such as raw carrots and celery along with a dip (for both the veg and the wings if desired) such as Ranch or Bleu Cheese Dressing.

 

[British Red]

Ahh she loves hot wings (mad to her own recipe - but this will feature in future). Weirdly here, people all want chicken breasts. A few want drumsticks. You can't give wings away. Our butcher lets us have huge numbers for not much money, so she gets hot wings for less than a loaf of bread!

 

[santaman2000]

Ahh she loves hot wings (mad to her own recipe - but this will feature in future). Weirdly here, people all want chicken breasts. A few want drumsticks. You can't give wings away. Our butcher lets us have huge numbers for not much money, so she gets hot wings for less than a loaf of bread!

Not unlike here really, although they're no longer cheap. The wing thing started as a bar snack about a half century ago and has since become umbiquitous at sporting events or as take out.

 

[Mesquite]

I had a PM from Hugh just after he announced his new chili sauce in which he asked if I'd like to do a taste test on it... I naturally jumped at the opportunity

Anyway, I've just finished the sauce this evening making some buffalo wings

These wings have about half a bottle of sauce on them and I enjoyed every one of them



It's a really nice sauce, much nicer than Encona but for my palate not particularly strong so I was able to enjoy it neat on cheese which is one of my favourite ways of having chili sauce. I also tried a couple teaspoon full neat to taste the heat.

On heat, it leaves a very pleasant afterglow which wasn't overpowering or chemically which was a nice feature.

On the whole I have to agree with Hugh's wife... it's a keeper for sure and thank you Hugh for the chance to try it out

 

[British Red]

It's a really nice sauce, much nicer than Encona but for my palate not particularly strong so I was able to enjoy it neat on cheese which is one of my favourite ways of having chili sauce. I also tried a couple teaspoon full neat to taste the heat.

You and she must both have an asbestos mouth

Really glad you liked it Steve. I'll make a bigger batch next year

 

[Mesquite]

You and she must both have an asbestos mouth

I happily eat Habanero and scotch bonnet sauces and hotter without much trouble Hugh so your sauce is like an aperitif to me

Reallu hlad you liked it Steve. I'll make a bigger batch next year

I'll put my order in then

If you want a new sauce to make try the Lemon Aji that I think were in the batch of seeds I sent you. It's got a wonderful citrus taste to it and I always meant to do a sauce with it but just never got around to it

 

[decorum]

>>> Do Not Use a Stick Blender. I splashed some of this on my hand and rubbed the skin on the back of my neck with that hand. I wondered for a while if I would need medical attention. Seriously. >>>

<<< We named it "Flaming Arrow" as we wanted something the acknowledges something hot that came from Apaches

Could also have gone with 'FlamiNeck'?

 

[British Red]

Could also have gone with 'FlamiNeck'?

badum tish!

I should have = thats awesome.

 

[Angry Pirate]

Fantastic! Thanks for the recipe.
I'm really tempted to try that though I'd have to buy in loads of chillis which rather defeats the point.
I used to work in a research lab and one of the team brought back a chilli sauce from the States. It was so hot it had an LD50 toxicity rating on the bottle. I tried a (very wee) drop, it numbed my lips and tongue for some hours. Not pleasant!

 

[mrostov]

If you are from Texas, you must have chiles on a regular basis or you simply die. It's a biological necessity.

On a bushcraft and survival note, with bottle of hot sauce in your kit, pretty much anything is edible.

For the fire-sensitive, if you mix chiles with lime juice it lowers the fire quite a bit.

 

[decorum]

>>>

I should have <<<

His and hers bottle labels?

I'm really tempted to try that though I'd have to buy in loads of chillis which rather defeats the point.

Not really. No different to buying fruit to make preserves ~ generally it's better than off the shelf (because you can adjust it to your taste).
The only important things are that you use chillies that you like the flavour of and that you have a go ~ and, possibly, that the house is vacated and well ventilated when you cook it up ...

For the fire-sensitive, if you mix chiles with lime juice it lowers the fire quite a bit.

Probably a good job I overdosed* last night's spicy bean stew with lime then ... poor swmbo

* by 400%:yikes:

 

[Angry Pirate]

Not really. No different to buying fruit to make preserves ~ generally it's better than off the shelf (because you can adjust it to your taste).
The only important things are that you use chillies that you like the flavour of and that you have a go ~ and, possibly, that the house is vacated and well ventilated when you cook it up ...

You've talked me into it. Challenge accepted

 

[British Red]

Hmmm just an update. After due consideration, herself has said a pint is not enough . Fortunately I froze a huge amount of chillis this year so I will make her a second batch. I'm also going to start some Lemon Aji in a propagator as I like the thought of them in a sauce and its seed starting time (hurrah)

 

[Mesquite]

I'm also going to start some Lemon Aji in a propagator as I like the thought of them in a sauce and its seed starting time (hurrah)

You'll like those Hugh, a nice delicate citrus flavour and scent to them. If truth be told they're my favourite chili.

Just a word of advice, allow some height for them and they like to grow tall and quite often needed staking when I was growing them

 

[British Red]

I'm really looking forward to them - I hope they are still viable!

I usually pot grow so staking may be tricky but I'll sort summat out (I find restricting their roots pushes them to flower earlier in the season, then I pot one size larger and make them tough it out, means I get a longer cropping season)

 

[Edventure]

I've made a similar sauce but using Scotch Bonnet chillies. Bloody hot! Roasted them first with a few cloves of garlic until slightly charred then as per your recipe. Lovely smoky flavour!

 

[Jack Bounder]

Same here. I used to have a allotment. We stuck a poly tunnel on it and filled it with chilli plants. I'd spend an absolute age roughly chopping the chillies (mainly scotch bonnets) before liquidizing them and bunging them in the freezer for later use. On one occasion my hand got so badly burnt, I had to hold it in a bowl of cold water for the entire evening