As we continue to be on grilling mode I think is nice to have a versatile sauce that is easy to serve with anything. I love cilantro and my first mild choice is my Cilantro Chutney recipe. However when I am the mood for some heat this Ají Picante is perfect to satisfy. This recipe has been passed down for few generations on my dad’s side of the family. I felt ashamed that I never got this recipe from my grandmother before she passed, because I didn’t like to eat spicy foods. Lucky for me, and all of you, my brother has been making this sauce with my grandma’s recipe for years.
My brother came to Madison for the first time this past Spring. It had been 7 years since the last time we saw each other, even thou we keep a close relationship thanks to technology; nothing could replace the long conversations around the dinner table. We had a really great time! We enjoyed talking about some memorable childhood moments, like the time we made a camp fire in the backyard while my mom wasn’t home, and secretly took a bunch of ingredients out of the fridge to make a chicken soup over the fire that we shared with our friends; only to be reprimanded for “wasting” what my mom had planned to make for dinner. With his visit we spent some time cooking together.
Ají Picante is the recipe I asked my brother to share with me. He lived with our grandmother for little while and he got used to having this sauce with everything just like my dad. My memories of grandma’s house are full of flavors and smells. The first smell in the morning was of the freshly ground coffee being brewed in the old traditional way, a cloth percolator held by hand on top of the cup while hot water was poured and fresh coffee hit the cup. Then the smell of “sofrito” that would go on anything she was going to cook that day. This sauce which lived on the table top at all times it’s incredibly easy! I modified the ingredients to what I could find here in Madison, he claims my dad would’ve found it too weak, but for my palate it turned out great. Spicy and creamy, not overwhelmingly hot. Perfect for grilled meat, chicken or vegetables, use it for dipping tortilla chips, drizzle over you burger instead of ketchup. Be creative!
This recipe was published in the June 11th edition of The Capital City Hues. To read the story and the recipe visit Add Spice to Life with Ají Picante.
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup dried chile de arbol
1 jalapeño, halved
1/2 small onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled
16 oz. Honduran Sour Cream
In a small sauce pan place the water, dried chilis and jalapeño. Over medium-high heat bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. In a blender, add garlic, onion, cooked chilies, including the water they cooked in. If the liquid is too hot, remove the center piece of the blender top and cover with a kitchen towel. Blend all the ingredients at a medium speed. Transfer to a bowl, add the Honduran sour cream and whisk together until well combined. The sauce is now ready to serve. It will keep in the fridge in a glass jar for up to 3 weeks.
Cook’s Note: You can strain the sauce after blending and before adding the cream for a thinner consistency.
There are many different types of hot peppers, for this sauce I used dried chile de arbol and a fresh jalapeño because those are easily found here in Madison. The creaminess of the sauce comes from a dairy product found in The Andes, this part was tricky because I wanted to find something as similar as possible. I found that the closest in flavor to the Venezuelan version was the Honduran style sour cream, only found in Latin stores. You could use Mexican Cream instead as it is easier to buy. This sauce is so versatile that it goes well with everything. In Venezuela our traditional corn flour cakes (arepas) are served daily, and Aji Picante is added by those who love to have that little kick after each bite. Here I give you my grandma’s best kept secret and I hope it inspires you to make your own bottle of Aji Picante to go with anything you are grilling this summer. Enjoy!