Everything You Want To Know About Making Chilli Sauces

West Australian Beer Marinade
makes 2 cups

• 1 cup of your favourite beer
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 jalapeño chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 1 bunch coriander, chopped
• ¼ cup light soy sauce
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablsp black pepper
• juice of 1 large blood orange
• juice of 3 limes

This is a great marinade for beef and chicken, but really works it's magic on gamier meats such as lamb, turkey, kangaroo, venison and goat.

Char Siu - Chinese Barbecue Sauce

This recipe is as authentic as they come. None of the Western substitutes you see in most recipes (e.g. sherry, red food colouring, honey).

I picked the recipe up when working in the the minerals exploration business in China in 2001.

Both palm sugar and red bean curd are easily obtained from asian grocery stores.

• 1 tblsp oyster sauce
• 1 tablsp red bean curd
• 1 tablsp palm sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teasp minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablsp hoi sin sauce
• ½ tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
• 2 tablsp rice wine
• 2 Thai or Birds-eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

Mix all the ingredients together until evenly blended. Use all at once or keep the remainder in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

Use to make Chinese Red Pork or any other ideas you come up with.

Chinese Garlic Sauce

A simple Chinese garlic sauce that you can whip up and hour or so before the Saturday afternoon barbie !

Makes about 3/4 cup.

• 1 tablsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• 2 tablsp oyster sauce
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 2 tablsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tablsp light soy sauce
• 2 tablsp rice vinegar
• 1 tablsp vegetable or peanut oil
• 3 tablsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablsp sugar
• ½ teasp Asian chilli paste (e.g. sambal oelek)
• 2 tablsp water

In another bowl, mix the cornstarch in the water and and stir until the cornstarch is fully mixed in

Heat oil in a saucepan on medium-heat and add the garlic and stir briefly until fragrant

Turn the heat to medium low. Re-stir the chicken stock/oyster sauce mix, add it into the saucepan

Now put in the sugar as well. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring well until the sugar is dissolved

Re-stir the water/cornflour mixture and add into the saucepan, stirring quickly as it will thicken rapidly

Remove from the heat as soon as it begins to boil.

Store in the fridge for up to a week. Re-warm before use.

Sichuan Chilli Sauce

Here is a classic chilli sauce from China's spice bowl - Sichuan province.

Use it in stir-fry dishes, sprinkled over rice, or even in soups.

makes about 1¼ cups

• 2 tablsp vegetable oil
• 2 tablsp tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3cm (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 6 red cayenne or jalapeno chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tablsp sugar
• 2 tablsp Chinese rice wine
• ¼ cup Chinese red rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 2 teasp salt
• Water as needed

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds

Add the onion and stir-fry for about a minute

Add the vinegar and the chillies and let it simmer for around 10 minutes. If it starts getting too dry, add some of the water

Add the rest of the ingredients, but not the water, and let it simmer for 5 more minutes

Remove from the heat and allow to cool

Blend to a fine puree in your food processor, adding water as necessary to get the consistency that you are after Will keep for up to a month in the fridge.

Ginger Sauce

This simple sauce is a great accompaniment to steamed or sauteed seafood.

• 2 tablsp light soy sauce
• 2 tablsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tablsp water or chicken stock
• 1½ teasp brown sugar, or to taste
• 1 red serrano (or Thai/Birdseye) chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced
• 5cm (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
• 6 spring onions (scallions, green onions), finely chopped
• 3 tablsp peanut or vegetable oil

Combine the soy sauce, water, and sugar in a small oven-safe (metal, ceramic, or pyrex) bowl

Stir in the spring onions, ginger, and chilli

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until it is shimmering on the bottom and very hot but not yet smoking. If it does

Pour the oil onto the spring-onion/ginger mixture, being very careful not to splash the hot oil anywhere

It will sizzle for a little while. Once it stops sizzling, stir, and then let stand for 2 minutes before serving

Quick & Easy Chilli Plum Sauce

A simple recipe for this popular Chinese dipping sauce.

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

• 1 cup plum jam
• ¼ teasp salt
• 2 teasp very finely chopped fresh onion
• ¼ teasp ginger powder
• ¼ teasp ground allspice (pimento)
• ½ teasp sweet chilli sauce
• ¼ teasp finely chopped fresh garlic
• 1 tablsp vinegar (brown malt or cider, if you've got it)
• 1/3 - ½ cup of water (all depends on how thick the jam is)

Mix the ingredients together well. Bring to a boil on low heat.

Cool the sauce and store in a jar in the refrigerator.

Will keep for about a week in the fridge.

Peking Sauce

A classic Chinese dipping sauce recipe with a bite provided by the chilli oil.

Makes about ½ cup

• 3 tablsp light soy sauce
• 3 tablsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tablsp red wine vinegar or red rice vinegar
• 1 teasp chili oil
• ½ teasp sugar, or to taste
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teasp fresh ginger, finely chopped

Combine all the ingredients.

Store it in the fridge for a couple of hours to give the flavors a chance to combine and work their magic !

Cranberry, Chilli and Apple sauce

makes 4 serves

A sauce that's always in demand during the Christmas/New Year season.

• 300g packet frozen cranberries (see tip)
• 1½ cups white sugar
• 1 teasp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 small apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup port (or sweet sherry)

Preheat oven or hooded BBQ to 200°C (390°F).

Place cranberries, sugar, apples, vinegar and port in a roasting pan (roughly 20cm x 30cm base) roasting pan. Stir to combine.

Roast cranberry mixture, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Set aside to cool.

Serve sauce with turkey or pork.

Basic Fresh Tomato Sauce

makes roughly 2 cups

The origins of this recipe are very much French in style, but I've adapted this out of an old recipe book from the Barossa that I inherited from my Grandma, which is where my family is from.

The chefs amongst you will peel & seed the tomatoes; the person cooking for their family will most likely bypass that step (which is absolutely fine !)

• 1kg ripe tomatoes (roma's are my personal favourite)
• 3 tablsp extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves (large) garlic, minced
• 1 teasp dried leaf thyme or oregano
• 2 bay leaf
• 2 teasp. tomato paste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablsp chopped fresh herbs of your choice (e.g. basil, tarragon, marjoram, parsley, coriander etc)
• see bottom of recipe for chilli variation

Cut cores from tomatoes, turn tomatoes over and slit skin in an X-pattern cut.

Place tomatoes in a pan of boiling water and boil 15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of iced water.

After a few seconds, remove them and pull off skins using your thumb and the edge of a knife as tweezers.

Cut each tomato in half. Hold it cut side down over a bowl and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and put the remaining flesh aside. You don't need the seeds and can throw them out.

Chop the tomato flesh finely.

Heat oil in a large, heavy frying pan, add the onion and saute over medium heat until softened but not brown.

Add the tomatoes, thyme, bay, garlic, salt and pepper and cook uncovered over medium-high heat, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and sauce is thick.

Discard bay leaves and then add the tomato paste and stir.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

This sauce can be kept for 3-4 days in the fridge, or it can be frozen. I do this in ice-cube trays and then transfer it to a plastic bag when frozen. That way I can use as much or as little as I want without any waste.

Stir in any fresh herbs after reheating, just before using.

Note: I usually double this recipe when making it just so I have plenty to freeze.

Note 2: For a variation I sometimes finely chop up one de-seeded serrano chilli just to add a little kick.

Caribbean-Style Habanero Sauce

Put some Bob Marley & The Wailers on, sit back, and enjoy this sauce on grilled pork or chicken, mon.

Be aware though - this is an extremely hot sauce !!!  

• 2 large carrots (1½ cups) peeled & chopped)
• ½ medium red onion (1 cup) peeled & chopped)
• 1½ cups white vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 6 cloves garlic (2 tablsp minced)
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablsp coarse kosher salt
• 1 teasp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup coarse grain or Creole mustard
• 12 to 14 habanero chiles, seeds and stems removed (¾ cup minced)

Combine the carrots, onion, vinegar, water, garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper and mustard in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the carrots are soft.

Remove from the heat and use a stab blender or food processor to puree the mixture, being careful not splash hot liquid on yourself or others.

Add the habaneros and continue to process until smooth.

Pour into sterilized jars or bottles and seal quickly.

To be extra safe, boil the jars, covered by water, in a large pot for 20 minutes then allow to cool.

Refrigerate a jar once it has been opened.