I just returned from a lovely Caribbean vacation on the island of St Martin/Sint Maartin. Half of the island is French, the other, Dutch. The two main food styles are French and Creole West Indian. And the Creole side really likes habanero hot sauces. Bottles of the stuff grace every table in multiple levels of really hot to hotter than hell. While most of the actual Creole dishes of rice, beans, curries, meats and seafood are not particularly spicy, it’s understood that you’ll heat them up with a dose of sauce on top. I’m sweating just thinking about it.
So in honor of my trip, I’m making a Habanero Sriracha, which has wonderful fruity, floral, garlicky taste that is balanced in its flavor to heat ratio. I’ve taken most of the seeds out of the peppers, which is where much of the heat resides. But don’t worry, these are still habaneros we’re talking about. This hot sauce has plenty of kick, but you can still taste the uniquely Caribbean flavor of the peppers.
