Sweet Chilli Sauce

I went to the cupboard earlier for some chilli sauce to serve with my home-made wedges and was horrified to find it all gone. You can't have wedges without chilli sauce. You just can't. I did though!  So I thought I'd share my recipe with you.

I once had this recipe scrawled on a scrap of paper. I have no idea where the scrap of paper is any more and haven't seen it for the past 12 or so months. I have made it so often and given it as gifts many times that I know it by heart - although I feel sure it has changed from the original.

Enjoy!

Basic Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar (Rice vinegar is best but I use the seriously cheap malt you can buy from most most supermarkets - Think value range, this is the credit crunch after all)
• 1 bulb garlic (Peeled. About 8-10 cloves)
• Red Chillies (De-seeded. About 4)
• 2 tbsp Fish Sauce (Or light soy sauce if you prefer)
• Paprika (This is just for colour so entirely optional)

Method

1. Add the sugar, vinegar, paprika and half the water to a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. In the meantime add the garlic, red chillies and water to a small bowl and blitz with a hand blender, once smooth add to the sugar vinegar mix.
3. Once mixture has come to the boil turn the heat down to a vigorous simmer until mixture has reduced by at leastr a quater. Stiring occasionally
4. When mixture has reduced stir in the fish sauce and cook for 2-3 more minutes
5. Allow to cool, bottle up and enjoy.

Variations

• Substitute some of the vinegar for juice of a couple of limes. Throw in the grated zest too.
• Add a 2-4cm of ginger to step 2.
• Keep the chilli seeds in if you like it really hot!
• Add some thickly diced red peppers to the mix then blitz the whole lot together at the end.
• Add a tsp of cornflour mixed with a little water for a slightly thicker sauce.
• 1tsp Salt.

The basic rule is equal quantities of sugar to liquid. Variations on the water vinegar ratio work well too.