He brings the heat to cooking

Self-taught chef David Ashley stokes America's appetite for hot sauce.

from the June 27, 2007 edition

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Homemade hot sauce

Commercial hot-sauce maker David Ashley is understandably reluctant to say how he makes the sauces he sells. But he's generous about listing ingredients and urges home chefs to experiment: Use more cilantro, less, or none; add unsulfured molasses; dry or prepared mustard; try a blend of different chilies.

5 chili peppers of your choice (see story on 'heat' below): jalapeño, habanero, Scotch bonnet, or some other, deseeded (wear rubber gloves) and chopped

3 to 5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, or more to taste (optional)

1/2 cup good-quality, red wine vinegar

Juice of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients in a food processor and process until liquefied. Transfer mixture to saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool and then put sauce into sterilized glass containers.

Yield: about 2 cups.

Sauce will keep for several weeks in refrigerator.

– from David Ashley 

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