Chile Vinegar Dipping Sauce

Name: Chile Vinegar Dipping Sauce
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 weeks (includes time for flavors to develop)
Yield: Makes about 1/2 cup
Ingredients: 5 ounces small (2- to 3-inch) fresh hot red or green chiles such as serrano or Thai (about 20), rinsed and patted dry; 1 1/3 cups distilled white vinegar; 6 tablespoons water; 4 teaspoons sugar; 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes (optional); a 1-pt canning jar with lid and screw band; an instant-read thermometer

March 20, 2007

Generations of southerners have tucked fresh hot chiles into vinegar for a pungent homemade hot sauce that sits right next to the salt and pepper on the table. Drizzled over gumbo, red beans and rice, or anything fried, it both balances out and punches up any other flavors it's paired with. The adventurous should feel free to pluck a pepper out of the jar and eat it alongside the meal — it's fine southern form. Doctored with a little sugar and red pepper flakes, it's amazing on the cheddar rice fritters.

Cooks' notes:

·Chile vinegar keeps, chilled, 6 months.
·Instead of making your own chile vinegar, you can use the vinegar from bottled pickled jalapeños.

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