This is probably my favorite homemade chile sauce. Any chile sauce maker who knows their stuff would tell you that the point of their craft is not to burn a layer of skin off of your face and later your rear end. It is to summon and compress the sharp, mouthwateringly peppery flavors and deliver them in a condensed and powerful punch. This sauce does exactly that. Each time I make it I struggle to not devour it by the spoonful. I could add it to 80 percent of the recipes in this book but that would be weird. So consider it implied, and know that—whether smeared between layers of a sandwich, rubbed on top of a grilled steak or roasted chicken, or tossed with a green salad—it will make everything taste better.
MAKES 2 CUPS
18 ounces (about 500 g) green cayenne peppers, green goat horn chiles, Basque fryers, or green jalapeño peppers, or a combination (see Note), stemmed and cut into small dice
4 garlic cloves, 2 smashed and 2 peeled
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (190 mL) canola oil
2 teaspoons whole Sichuan peppercorns
3 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more as desired
1 small handful cilantro leaves (see Note)
1½ tablespoons tightly packed minced peeled ginger
1 teaspoon fresh green Sichuan peppercorns (or if unavailable, 1 tablespoon pickled green peppercorns)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the peppers, smashed garlic, oil, and whole Sichuan peppercorns. Cook until the peppers are very soft and have lost half of their volume, 10 to 13 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s important to substantially reduce the moisture inside the peppers in order to get a concentrated flavor. Add the fish sauce and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated, about 1 minute.
2. Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the cilantro leaves, ginger, peeled garlic, green Sichuan peppercorns, vinegar, and white pepper. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is super smooth and creamy. Adjust with more fish sauce if needed (this is a chile sauce and thus should be robustly seasoned).
3. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
NOTE ON CHILIES: Do not use green bell peppers, poblano peppers, or any large, sweet-tasting varieties because their flavors are on the mild side. In Asia, I typically use green cayenne peppers or green goat horn chilies, but you can use Anaheim, French Basque fryers, green jalapeño peppers, or a combination of your choice to reach your preferred spiciness. Green peppers are younger than red and usually have thinner skins, resulting in a much creamier, less gritty texture.
NOTE ON CILANTRO: If you don’t like cilantro, don’t worry; you won’t really be able to taste it aside from a nice herby note in the background.