Recipe The Witch Doctor's Mojo Sauce

ever wonder why they put a bottle of Tobasco in MRE? why to improve the taste of otherwise inedible food... this is my response to that need...

The Witch Doctor's Mojo Sauce

1/2 dried chile ancho
1 fresh red Dutch, Thai, or jalapeno chile
16 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanera chiles preferably orange or golden yellow
1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
4 medium garlic cloves
1 Tbls fresh lemon juice
1 Tbls light or amber rum
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 ts dried oregano

Submerge the ancho in a pot of hot water and soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Chop ancho finely and reserve. Roast and peel the Dutch chili. Stem, seed, and finely chop the chili.

Stem and seed the Scotch bonnets, leaving the inner membranes (and, if desired, a few seeds). Combine the Scotch bonnets with onion and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely chopped.

Combine lemon juice, rum, and vinegar in a nonreactive pan and bring to a boil. Pour liquid into processor, add the oregano and Dutch chile, and process lightly. Add the ancho teaspoon by teaspoon, processing briefly in between, pulsing only enough to obtain a smooth, yellow-orange sauce, highlighted by red flecks. (Overprocessing or adding too much ancho will result in a redder sauce, which is also quite beautiful.) Refrigerated, this sauce will keep 6 weeks.

MAKES 2 CUPS