Habaneros around here when in season come in fairly large packs, always too much for one or two meals. So I make this sauce, and then I can enjoy the Habanero Heat all year.
| 1 medium onion | peel and chop roughly |
| 2 medium carrots | peel and chop roughly |
| 1 tablespoon oil | (I use extra-virgin olive oil, but you can do as you wish). Saute the onion and carrot for a few minutes over a low heat. Do not allow to brown. |
| 1 large knob ginger, peeled and rough chopped | You need about the same amount of ginger as carrot. Cut it into chunks about 25mm diameter and 5mm thick. Add to the pan. |
| Stir the pan frequently, for around 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. | |
| 8--12 Habaneros | Remove the seeds, and cut into chunks. Add to the pan. (I haven't tried this, but you could try charring the habaneros and then rubbing off the skin. I suggest rubber gloves and eye protection if you do this :-) |
| 100ml Water | Cook the mixture gently until the carrots are soft (about another five minutes). Add water as necessary to prevent sticking and burning. |
| Transfer the cooked mixture to a blender | |
| 4 tblspn Honey | The kind that is runny. |
| Juice of one lemon | Add to blender; puree until smooth. Add more water if necessary. |
| Taste the mixture and add more honey and/or lemon if necessary | |
| Reduce the mixture in the pan, stirring constantly (try not to cough into the pan) until the mixture looks about the right consistency | |
| Clean, sterilised jars | you can sterilise jars sufficiently for this by pouring boiling water into them, leaving it for five minutes, emptying and repeating). Pour the mixture into the jars, label them and seal them |
The sauce needs to be refrigerated after opening; it continues to improve and get hotter for a few weeks after it has been made.
Also I've found that the distinctive habanero flavour disappears at first, but returns after about three or four weeks