Chalé sauce
A basic everyday sauce that is used in a number of Zoe Adjonyoh's Ghanaian recipes. Quick, simple and punchy, this recipe is perfect to make in large quantities for big batch cooking
Fermented rhubarb hot sauce
Makes 750ml
Easy
Prep:
plus 10 days fermenting
Perfect in dressings, marinades or to kick-start your next batch of hot sauce
Skip to ingredients
- 400g rhubarbfinely chopped
- 100g mixed chilli peppersdestalked and halved (try a mixture of scotch bonnets for heat plus milder chillies)
- 50g shallotsroughly chopped
- 20g gingerthinly sliced
- 10g garlicsmashed
- 3-4 thyme sprigs
Method
step 1
Put a jar on a kitchen scale and set it to zero. Drop in all the ingredients then fill with water, ensuring that everything is submerged. Note the total weight of the ingredients then calculate 3% of the weight – this will be the amount of salt you need to add.
step 2
Add the salt and mix well, close the jar with the lid slightly open and leave it to ferment at room temperature for seven to 10 days – if you tighten the jar’s lid, remember to burp the jar during the first few days. Once the fermentation starts to slow down (less bubbles), start tasting the fermented rhubarb.
step 3
Once you’re happy with the flavour, strain the ingredients (keeping the brine) and blitz in a food processor or blender. You may prefer it in a chunkier form, so take your time tasting it, adjusting it with the reserved brine to loosen the hot sauce. Keep in the fridge for long-term storage.
