Piri-Piri
This fiery Portuguese-African condiment came into my kitchen thanks to
Chef Emeril Lagasse of Emeril's and NOLA restaurants in New Orleans. He
uses it in several of his dishes, but it's very versatile ... experiment!
It's hot, but it kinda creeps up on you. I am now never without a jar of
this at hand.
- 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 jalapeno chiles, roughly chopped (stems, seeds and all)
- 2 poblano chiles, roughly chopped (stems, seeds and all)
- 1 tablespoon crushed dried red chile flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 turns fresh ground black pepper
- 3 cloves minced garlic
Combine all of the ingredients except the garlic in a small saucepan and
cook over high heat for 4 minutes, stirring frequently (be VERY careful
as you do this). Remove from heat and stir in the garlic. Let the mixture
cool to room temperature, then place in a food processor and pulse
sixteen times.
Pour into a jar and let it sit for one week before using. The piri-piri
will keep at room temperature for two months. Use as a marinade, a
sizzling sauce, an ingredient in a dish, or in place of regular oil for
sauteing ... there's lots of room for creativity. Experiment! Be
creative!
Buy Chef Emeril's book Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking, published
by Random House, and see how he uses piri-piri. In fact, you can order it
online by telnetting to books.com, so do
yourself and your dinner guests a favor and buy it!
And if you're ever in New Orleans, dine at Emeril's Restaurant, 800
Tchoupitoulas Street in the Warehouse District. I guarantee it'll be one
of the most fabulous meals you'll ever have in your life.