Sriracha is the mother-load of hot sauces.
And that’s not just our opinion, it really does seem to be the general consensus in the world of hot sauces. Is there anything that sriracha doesn’t compliment?
Once the ultimate street food condiment, now it’s found in every corner of almost every cuisine and there seems to be one main reason for it versatility!
Versatility is king. And although the name sriracha may not be versatile in itself, the content of the bottle sure as hell is!
What is it?
It’s a chilli pepper, vinegar, garlic and sugar sauce that’s hot, tangy and slightly sweet”¦ Need I say more? Okay, here’s a little more”¦.
History
Also known as rooster sauce because of the legendary, popular red bottle, this Thai sauce has taken the world by storm. The most popular one is actually made in the US by Huy Fong Foods – owned by David Tram, a Vietnamese immigrant.
He began making this sauce in 80s and selling it out of the back of his van, his sauce is less sweet and thicker than a traditional Thai sriracha sauce.
Although the history of sriracha sauce isn’t set in stone the general consensus on its origins began with a Thai women named Thanom Chakkapak, who originated from the Thai seaside town of Si Racha, thus the name sriracha sauce.
What to do with it!
Use it as a finishing sauce for just about anything, as a dipping sauce for anything dip-able, as an ingredient in another sauce, as a marinade or just to add a kick of heat to anything that takes your fancy or even in place of tomato sauce.
Mix it through a creamy dip to add heat and colour or mayonnaise or cream cheese. You can even add it to drinks sriracha bloody mary anyone?
The cult following of sriracha has even lead to the publishing of The Sriracha Cookbook by Randy Clemens who includes a great recipe for the sauce both in the book and online.
Method
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Blitz the chilli, garlic and shallots in a food processor, or chop finely by hand, and pour into a saucepan over medium low heat.
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Add the tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar and a tablespoon of the salt and cook down for about half an hour or until the chilli starts to break down.
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Taste and season with salt and more sugar if required.
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Thai cuisine is all about the balance and harmony between sweet, salty, spicy and sour, and that's what you're looking for in a homemade sriracha sauce.
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Allow the sauce to cool and then blend until smooth. Pour into sterilised bottles and store in the fridge.
Recipe Hints and Tips:
- To Ferment or Not to Ferment? Many of these recipes ferment the chilli mix before cooking it but I've seen some great sauces where it's cooked as soon as it's blended.
Scroll down below for the basic run-down recipe on how to make your own Sriracha sauce. Enjoy!
