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Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Pepper Jelly Dipping Sauce

This recipe has multiple uses. It works as a sweet and spicy dipping sauce for shrimp toast and crabmeat puffs, but it also works well as a condiment to be served alongside egg rolls and spring rolls. For a unique and unusual treat, toss a few tablespoons of this sauce with fried popcorn shrimp, fried crawfish tails, or fried calamari.

Ingredients

1 /4 cup red chili pepper flakes

1 cup water

1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 /2 cup rice vinegar

1 cup white wine vinegar

3 /4 cup corn syrup

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

Bring one cup of water to a boil in a small sauce pot. Stir in chili flakes and simmer five minutes. Strain flakes, set aside, and discard water.

Place red bell pepper and garlic in a small stainless steel sauce pot with vinegars and simmer 5-6 minutes. Allow mixture to cool slightly, then puree in a blender. Return pureed mixture to the stainless steel pot and add sugar and corn syrup Bring the mixture back to a simmer.

Dissolve corn starch in the water and blend into the red pepper mixture. Once it returns to a simmer, remove from heat. Stir in the red pepper flakes and chill.

May be made one week in advance.

Yield: 3 cups

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