The Hot Sauce Cookbook by Robb Walsh Read Free Book Online

fresh cilantro
    ¾ cup chopped bell pepper
    Salt
    Working over a mixing bowl to catch as much juice as possible, twist off the crab claws, break them open, pick out the meat, and put in the bowl. Break off the apron (or key) and rub off the feather gills. Remove the crabmeat from the shells.
    Add the lime juice, chile, onion, scallions, cilantro, and bell pepper. Season to taste with salt. Cover and chill for several hours before serving.

CRAB BACKS
    ——— Serves 6 as an appetizer ———
    This is yet another dish combining the flavors of crab, lime juice, and Caribbean pepper. Crab backs are popular all over the Caribbean.
    6 Pepper Crabs
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    4 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and chopped
    Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
    Juice of 3 small Mexican limes, about 3 tablespoons
    1 habanero-type chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
    3 tablespoons dark rum
    1 cup dried bread crumbs
    Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    Working over a mixing bowl to catch as much juice as possible, twist off the crab claws, break them open, pick out the meat, and put in the bowl. Break off the apron (or key), then pull off the top shell, but keep it intact. Rub off the feather gills and break the body in two. Remove the crabmeat from the shells.
    Add the garlic, scallions, thyme, lime juice, chile, parsley, rum, and bread crumbs to the crabmeat. Mix well, mashing the mixture into a paste. Stuff the crab shells with the mixture and place stuffing side up on a baking sheet. Bake the stuffed crab backs for 20 minutes. Serve warm with Papaya Fire or your favorite Caribbean hot sauce on the side.

BOSTON BEACH JERK RUB
    ——— Makes 4 cups ———
    The barbecue technique handed down from the Arawak-Carib people is famously preserved in Boston Beach, Jamaica, on the island’s northwest coast. A metal grate has replaced the green sticks of the native Amerindians and corrugated zinc is more common than banana leaves as a covering; otherwise, the process looks a lot like the illustrations of the 1600s.    +   Boston Beach is not really a town; it’s actually just a collection of “jerk shacks,” bars, and spice stores. The jerk men tout their respective specialties, including jerk chicken, jerk sausage, and jerk pork. They also shill their own special blends of jerk seasoning.    +   There are several good commercial jerk seasonings available, including Walkerswood Traditional Jerk Seasoning and Jamaican Country Style Boston Dry Jerk Seasoning. But making your own jerk rub is easy and the flavor is far superior to anything you buy in a jar. Here’s the recipe.
    ½ cup fresh thyme leaves
    2 bunches (about 15) scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and chopped
    ¼ cup finely diced peeled fresh ginger
    3 habanero-type chiles, stemmed but not seeded
    ¼ cup peanut oil
    5 garlic cloves, chopped
    3 bay leaves
    1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
    1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander
    2 teaspoons freshly ground allspice
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
    Juice of 1 lime
    Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Process to a thick, chunky paste. You can store the sauce in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for several months.

JERK BARBECUE
    Use a lot of jerk rub in proportion to the amount of meat—the jerk sauce will form a crust.    +   In Boston Beach, they use the wood of the pimento (allspice) tree for barbecue. At home, use charcoal briquettes to start the fire, then add chunks of sweet hardwoods, such as apple, peach, maple, walnut, pecan, or hickory.
    Jerked Chicken
    ——— Serves 2 to 4 ———
    1 (3-pound) chicken, split in half
    1 to 1½ cups Boston Beach Jerk Rub
    On a cutting board, pack the wet jerk rub around both sides of the chicken halves and under the skin. Marinate in a sealed container in the refrigerator overnight.
    About 1 hour before you are ready to grill, take the