Sometimes food experiments that go awry end up so delicious that they become kitchen staples. That’s what happened with this smoky chili paste. I love smoked and fermented foods, so when I started experimenting with homemade siracha, years before I wrote my pickling cookbook, I thought it would be a great idea to smoke the chilies before fermenting them into hot sauce. I was wrong.
Smoking, even at a low temperature, killed the healthy bacteria needed for fermentation. The large bag of homegrown and home-smoked chilies sitting in my mudroom needed another use, so I blended some into a paste – one so tasty and versatile that now I always keep a jar in my refrigerator.
The recipe is basic yet fully adjustable from smokiness to heat level. I always make this paste with Home-Smoked Chili Peppers, but you can use fully dried chilies instead. Rehydrate them in boiling water for about 30 minutes, and then drain and weigh.
I often smoke chilies when I strip pepper plants at the end of the growing season. Those chilies might range from green to red and from milder guajillo peppers to medium-hot jalapenos and spicier serrano and cayenne peppers. Use only red chilies if you want a vibrant paste. I don’t recommend using just green chilies, which can be quite bitter.
The smoking, salt and vinegar preserve this paste in the refrigerator for months. It lacks the fermented undertones of Scratch-Made Sriracha, which I later perfected and included in The Complete Guide to Pickling with other fermented hot sauce recipes and one for Sambel Oelek, made with fully fresh chilies. Yet the smokiness of this unfermented paste makes it a spicy, umami-forward addition to many recipes.
Use this chili paste in any recipes that I’ve shared in this column that call for chili paste, crumbled smoked chilies, minced smoked peppers or even smoked paprika if you like a little heat. Stir a dab into dips and sauces, and toss it with Home-Spiced Nuts. Add it to baked and stovetop pasta dishes, soups and chowders, stir-fries and curries. It spices up delicate shrimp and hearty Brined and Seasoned Pot Beans.
Smoky Homemade Chili Paste
Makes about 1 cup
6 ounces smoked chilies
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon flaky kosher salt
4 teaspoons white wine vinegar (5% acidity)
In a sealed food processor, chop the chilies for about two minutes, until they have broken into smaller pieces. Add the garlic, salt and vinegar and process for about four minutes, until a smooth paste forms. Interrupt the processing as needed to scrape down the work bowl’s sides.
Scoop the paste into a clean 8-ounce jar. Top with a paper towel secured with a rubber band. Leave the jar in a well-ventilated space at room temperature for eight to 24 hours so that the flavors blend. Remove the towel, seal the jar with a lid and refrigerate the paste. It keeps well for months, and the flavor continues to mature.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.