Pickled Chili Garlic Sauce (Duo Jiao,剁椒)

Prepare

1. Wash the chili peppers under running water thoroughly. Drain then pad dry with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper. Lay them on a tray. Leave to air dry completely.
2. Remove the green stems. Cut the peppers into chunks (Wear gloves to avoid burning). If you wish to reduce the spiciness, remove the seeds before cutting (see note 2 to learn how).
3. Peel the garlic and ginger. Crush to loosen the texture a little.

Blend (see note 3 for the traditional method)

1. Add garlic and ginger to a food processor. Blend them on high speed into a paste-like consistency.
2. Put in the chopped pepper (you might need to add it in two batches depending on the size of your food processor). Blend for 3 seconds then pause. Stir with a spatula then blend for another 3 seconds. Repeat the process until the pepper is evenly chopped into small pieces but not to a fine paste consistency.

Season

1. Pour everything into a large bowl. Add salt, sugar and the juice of the lime/lemon. Mix with a spatula until well combined.
2. Cover the bowl and leave to rest on the counter for 48 hours.

Store

1. Transfer the chili garlic sauce into clean, oil-free, air-tight jars/containers. Store in the fridge for up to 3 months or in the freezer for 9 months.

Use

1. Use it a week later for a richer flavour. Always use a clean, oil-free spoon to scoop out the sauce. Put the jar/container back into the fridge after each use.
2. For inspirations on how to use this sauce, pleace read in the post content above.