What is Peri Peri Sauce?
Peri peri sauce is a spicy condiment popular in South African cuisines and was introduced by the Portuguese. This red-orange, thick-textured sauce has a fiery flavor with garlic and is sweet, hot, and salty, with the subtle flavor of fresh basil. Peri peri has a strong depth of flavor and is used as a dipping sauce, topping, or marinade for meat, seafood, rice, vegetables, and sandwiches.
Ingredients
Bird's eye chili peppers are small peppers about 2-3 inches in length. They are thin with tapered ends and can be harvested when green or red. Red indicated the pepper is ripe. The heat of this thin skinned pepper is intense and flavorful with an almost floral hint. They go well in curries, meat, seafood and vegetable dishes and can be found in condiments.
Lemon juice is made from the flesh of the pulpy yellow lemon fruit. The juice is squeezed from the flesh of the lemon and is a pale yellow color. The flavor is very sour and bright. Lemon juice is used in multiple cuisines around the world to brighten and enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. Lemon juice is used to make lemonade and goes well on fish. It has many uses.
Garlic is used in cuisines around the world and is extremely popular for its depth of flavor. The garlic bulb forms underneath the soil and is harvested once it reaches maturity. The bulb typically has thin, dry, white and flaky skin, surrounding the individual cloves. Often there are 10-12 cloves to a bulb/head of garlic. The cloves are cream colored with a strong smell and flavor that is spicy and sharp. Garlic takes on a nutty flavor in addition, when cooked. It is used in countless dishes, sauces, breads and more.
Cilantro is a leafy herb with a thin green stalk and small, partially fringed green leaves that look similar to a three leaf clover. It has a distinct smell that is similar to a lime and a flavor to match that. In addition, it smells and tastes the same and has a strong flavor with a hint of greens. Due to a genetic trait, some people find that cilantro tastes like soap. This herb is used in many cuisines, particularly from Asia and Central and South America.
Basil is a leafy and aromatic herb that grows in warm climates. There are over one hundred varieties, though the most common Genovese variety of basil produces thin green leaves, in a tapered oval shape. The leaves taste bright, peppery and almost minty; the smell is the same. Basil lends a spicy sweet and herbal flavor to any dish.
Smoked paprika is made from Spanish pimiento peppers that have been dried, smoked over oak coals, and then ground to a fine powder. It has an intense, smoky taste but is mild and sweet. It is used in chorizo sausage and paella, and can be used as an ingredient in dry rubs for meat or in stews.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
