Sriracha

Method

1. Rinse 200 g of ripe red chillies and pull off the green stems, leaving the shoulder of the chilli intact so the flesh stays sealed. Roughly chop them, seeds and all, and peel 15 g of garlic. Wear gloves if your skin is sensitive.
2. Put the chillies and garlic in a blender with 20 g of chopped palm sugar and 8 g of non-iodised sea salt. Pulse to a coarse, wet paste — it should still show flecks of skin, not be a purée.
3. Scrape the paste into a scalded glass jar, pressing it down so the surface is level and the brine rises over it. Cover loosely with the lid or a cloth so gas can escape, and leave at cool room temperature, out of direct sun, for 3 to 5 days. Stir once a day with a clean spoon; it is ready when you see small bubbles rising and it smells sour and yeasty rather than sweet.
4. Tip the fermented paste back into the blender with 60 ml of distilled white vinegar and run it on high for 2 minutes, until completely smooth and glossy.