Recipes: Sauces

Similar to the sambals of Malaysia and Indonesia Thai curry pastes are an important part of Thai cuisine and are used throughout the country, though each region has its own variation. Using Thai Long chillies our red curry paste recipe is from the Island of Phuket, southeast Thailand.

This is probably the most versatile version of the red chilli sauces and is made using Guajillo chillies. It also shows the important technique of toasting dried chillies on a griddle pan which develops the flavour. This sauce can be used to make red enchiladas, enchiladas rojas, with any preferred filling; with cooked pork to make carne con chile Colorado; and also with string beans or potatoes to make simple Lenten dishes.

This sauce recipe is taken from the traditional Mexican dish Chipotle Chicken. It perfectly showcases one of our favourite chillies the Chipotle which is a dry smoked Jalapeno. Chipotle chillies are a very traditional chilli and were used even before the Aztec empire was established. In this recipe it is combined with another much loved chilli the Ancho Poblano to give you a great tasting and versatile chilli sauce!

Mole sauce is a rich sauce flavoured with chocolate, chillies, spices and a whole host of other ingredients. This particular recipe is a famous traditional recipe from the Martinez family of Oaxaca City and is served every day at their wonderful restaurant Casa de la Abuela. Mole is traditionally served with Turkey but can be used with Chicken or Pork. Mole sauces are thought to originate from the state of Puebla east of Mexico City. The exact origin of Mole Poblano is disputed but one of the more interesting stories is that it was served to Cortez and the invading Conquistadors by the Aztec King Moctezuma who thought they were Gods.

This is the salsa of all salsas and has been lovingly created for all you dedicated chilli connoisseurs who are bored with the usual supermarket options and want to make a deliciously textured, flavour packed salsa fresca. Bursting with the flavours of ancho chillies, guajillo chillies and chipotle chillies that hit your palate individually to finish with a smoky after flavour and chilli kick. Make sure you keep it chilled until serving for full enjoyment.

Used to marinate meats and fish Adobos can also be easily turned into sauces for dipping or adding to tacos, enchiliadas, flautas and burritos. This recipe features pasilla, cascabel and guajillo chillies so the flavour is diverse and delicious!