I’m a big fan when it comes to sauces. As a matter of fact my wife said to me the other day that we need another refrigerator for all of our sauces. I’m game for that. She’s right though. I do have a lot of sauces. I have a whole side door full of Asian sauces, more for Caribbean style sauces, then sauces scattered throughout, whether they be different types of mustard, ketchup, or bbq sauce. I make a lot of sauces as well. I prefer my salsas over any store bought, and love exploring with different hot sauces.
Recently, there is one sauce that came to mind when I wanted something bright in flavor, and a sauce that I could utilize some ingredients from my garden. That’s where aji comes in. Scroll down for more photos.
Ingredients:
- 3 roma tomatoes, seeded, diced
- 4 whole green onions, trimmed, chopped
- 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup of flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 habanero pepper, seeded, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
Begin by adding the green onions, sugar, garlic, half of the cilantro, half of the parsley, half of the tomatoes, salt, pepper, vinegar, and habanero to a food processor. Pulse until everything is finely blended.
To a mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, the remaining parsley and cilantro, and juice of the lime. Pour in the mixture from the food processor, and stir well to combine everything.
What you end up with is what is called aji. It is much like a sofrito and can be used in so many dishes. Smell it, then taste it, and you will see. The possibilities are endless. Soups, rice, stews, heck, even a salad. It’s fresh, it’s bright, and it is nothing short of being amazing. Give this one shot. It will store for a few weeks in the fridge, but I am not guessing it will last that long. Hope you enjoy.