Carolina Reaper sambal
Makes about 250ml, enough for about 12 serves. About 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 Carolina Reapers, red or yellow (start with 1)
- 2 red capsicums (about 400g), seeds removed, chopped
- 150g tiny red shallots (about 12), peeled
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste (optional)
- 100ml vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons tamarind purée, or the juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or grated palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method
- Put on disposable gloves before you touch a Reaper and keep them on until you finish. It is one of the hottest chillies in the world, and a trace on your fingers can burn your eyes hours later. Open the windows and turn the rangehood on high before you start cooking: frying chilli paste gives off fumes that make everyone cough.
- Cut the stalk off the Reaper and chop it. Blend it with the capsicum, shallots, garlic and shrimp paste to a coarse paste, adding a splash of the oil if the blender needs help.
- Heat the oil in a wok or heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the paste carefully, as it spits, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often. It will bubble, then thicken and darken to a deep brick red, and the oil will separate around the edges. That is when it's done. Don't rush it on high heat or it will scorch.
- Stir in the tamarind, sugar and salt and cook for 2 minutes more. Taste a tiny amount from the tip of a spoon, then adjust the salt, sugar and sourness.
- Cool, then spoon into a clean jar and refrigerate.
Tip: Keep it in the fridge with a thin layer of oil on top, always use a clean spoon, and eat it within two weeks. One Reaper makes a very hot sambal; two is for serious chilli lovers. For a milder one, use 3 or 4 red habaneros instead. Stir a spoonful into fried rice or noodles, or serve it with eggs or grilled fish.
