DRAGON LADY HOT SAUCE

Serrano peppers are sold by the package at my local Chinese grocery for just $1.99.  About 2 cups of whole peppers will reduce to about 1 1/3 cup when finely chopped.

Caution: Pepper seeds will start popping everywhere, but refrain from touching them with your bare fingers (or wear gloves).  Tip: (assuming you’re right-handed):  while holding the stem of the pepper steady on the cutting board with your left hand, start cutting from the opposite end of the pepper.  With this method, you will never need to touch any seeds. That’s how mama Dragon Lady taught me how to do it!

MAKES approx. 3 1/3 cups of hot sauce

2 cups whole serrano peppers

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 cup sesame oil

Finely chop serrano peppers (discard the stems).  Place chopped peppers, including all the seeds (about 1 1/3 cup), in a large, sealable jar or glass container.  Add soy sauce and sesame oil.  Mix well.  Store in refrigerator.  

Caucasian people make homemade jam; Chinese people make homemade hot sauce.  Basically, you need to add equal part of soy sauce and sesame oil – just enough to cover the peppers with liquid.  This recipe yields more hot sauce than an average family would consume in a year.  So I divide mine into three containers:  keep one; give two.  Share your spicy personality!  (Makes a unique hostess gift.)