A splash of homemade hot sauce can certainly thaw winter’s chill. We turned to Michelle Fuerst, Eatsy chef and all around food guru, for a hot sauce recipe and some useful know how. Michelle rose to the challenge with Heatsy, a hot sauce she created that calls for two kinds of dried chilies, garlic and her secret ingredient, sherry. Full bodied hot sauces are often aged in oak barrels and Michelle discovered that adding sherry, a common kitchen ingredient, imparts similar sweet-woody undertones. Add some body and kick to your next meal with Heatsy.
Materials Needed
Paring knife
Measuring spoons and cups
Medium bowl
Small plate that fits inside a medium bowl
Blender
Spatula
Jar to hold hot sauce
Funnel, if neck of jar requires
Heatsy Sauce Ingredients
2.5 ounces of dried New Mexico chilies
4-6 chili de arbol (depending on desired spiciness)
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons salt
1 cup apple cider or white distilled vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon aged sherry
Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
Clean chilies with a damp cloth. Remove stems and place chilies in a medium bowl. Pour just enough boiling water over the chilies to cover. Place a small plate over the chilies to submerge them in water. Set aside for 20 minutes, or until the chilies are rehydrated, soft and pliable.
Place the chilies in a blender. Add the garlic, salt and vinegar. Puree on high until a uniform paste forms. Thin the paste with water or, if it’s palatable, with the soaking liquid. Blend again. Add sherry. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Michelle Fuerst has 15 plus years cooking experience (she’s a distinguished alum of Bay Area favorites, Zuni Café and Chez Panisse). She was the curator at Slow Food Nation and helped revitalize the Slow Food Berkeley chapter.
121 comments
vKnit said 9 years ago
tasty!! xox
CarryTheWord said 9 years ago
I love these recipes!
laurelinsailor said 9 years ago
Oh, I got a new project for sure! Thanks for sharing!
trashbaggs said 9 years ago
bring on the heat!! looks yummy!
elinart said 9 years ago
Phwoar!
studiokmo said 9 years ago
completely excited about this one! thanks eatsy!!
soule said 9 years ago
My 15 year old son would LOVE this! I'm going to give him the recipe and let him make it!
100applegate said 9 years ago
This looks so good!! Ready for Bloody Marys!! Great post! Best, Connie
lineandlissom said 9 years ago
SAVING. Everyone in my house are hot sauce addicts. Thank you! xo
SchneiderGallery said 9 years ago
I'd rather have some Duck Sauce with a hint of Barbra Streisand ;p
TheBloomingThread said 9 years ago
Oh yum!! Lets see how this taiste tonight~ Im in the mood for something spicy!
emilybidwell said 9 years ago
Seriously! It's the BEST hot sauce I've ever tried. Thanks Team for putting this how-to together for us!
Xenotees said 9 years ago
My husband and I grow Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokias & Fataliis every year & make our own hot sauces to last until the next harvest. Pretty much my favorite thing on earth. Looking forward to trying one with sherry, thanks!
xfictionprincess said 9 years ago
this is such a cool recipe!
trendlightly said 9 years ago
Looks fantastic:) I always love finding something new to make myself instead of buy!
thevintagejunkie said 9 years ago
Being a spicy-hot sort of gal myself, I just might need to make some! Looks delish! Thank you!
mcldrygoods said 9 years ago
yummy. i love the dried peppers and sherry combination. that should give it a rich flavor in addition to the heat. :)
rarebeasts said 9 years ago
Bring the hot stuff on, it's getting mighty cold down here.
MegansMenagerie said 9 years ago
Looks good! I'm ready for some heat =)
TheJewelleryFactory said 9 years ago
turn on the heat...
theroyal said 9 years ago
TOO HOTTT!!!
babylonsisters said 9 years ago
Can't wait to try this. I've made Emerill's piri-piri a few times. Delicious and so satisfying to make your own hot sauce.
Parachute425 said 9 years ago
Not for me but the rest of the family would love it. Thanks.
MissYvonneNicole said 9 years ago
Eeeep too hot for me!
ThoseThreeWords said 9 years ago
My husband would LOVE this! Thanks for sharing, the Eatsy articles are always fantastic!
JulieMeyer said 9 years ago
Never thought to make my own hot sauce. It's either several shakes of hot sauce or dried red pepper flakes on almost everything I eat!
tigersanddragons said 9 years ago
My sweetie puts hot sauce in every dish he cooks, sometimes too much for me!
theyellowcart said 9 years ago
Great recipe! Anything thats not out of a box is good food.
catchalljewelry said 9 years ago
haha, this is so awesome! totally going to try this one out!
OsoVictoria said 9 years ago
I love hot sauce and am going to try this one! Thanks for sharing.
KwestStudio8 said 9 years ago
Loved watching the free and easy give and take between those two, making the hot sauce! It looks yummiosso!!!! K
SimpleeYou said 9 years ago
Yummmmmmmm!!! Will defintely try it, Thanks for sharing:)
socalartgal said 9 years ago
YUMMY!!!!
ChrissiesRibbons said 9 years ago
OOOOOoooohh!!! Yum, yum, yum- now where's the lid of my blender?!
TheVinylChalkboard said 9 years ago
Thank-you so much for this recipe!!! I have always wondered how hot sauce is made! I can hardly wait to try it!
SaffronColoredPony said 9 years ago
i'd like a dash of this in my next chubby mary (a smoked chub in your blood mary) one of my favorites from fish town/leland, mi http://www.lelandmi.com com'n summer!~
jungledread said 9 years ago
Love the hot stuff!! <3
AvianInspirations said 9 years ago
Fabulous!! I highly recommend chipotle chiles for a wonderfully smokey hot sauce. And if you're so inclined, you can smoke your own jalapenos. It's so good I literally just eat it by the spoon full.
BlackStar said 9 years ago
We make our own hot sauce too, but the recipe is nothing like this one. Always interesting to read other recipes.
AntiGenre said 9 years ago
...and now I'm hungry. Beautiful photos, will have to try the recipe!
Floreal said 9 years ago
Definitely going to try it!! :)
crystalworld said 9 years ago
love them:)
CinByDesign said 9 years ago
This is awesome, I have about ten different bottles of hot sauce in the fridge and they all have just a drop or two left. Now I can finish them off knowing I will be making my own yummy Hot Sauce very soon using this recipe. Thanx Eatsy!!
WoodlandCottage said 9 years ago
YIKES! Spicy! Thanks for sharing!
PetalPetal said 9 years ago
Bookmarking for the next time I am able to actually cook a meal! Sounds amazing! Love spicy!
ImagineThatCustDesig said 9 years ago
Awesome! Thanks for the recipe and know how. I never thought to make my own Hot sauce. I made my own Ketsup and LOVED it. I Love Hot sauce and I will really enjoy this. Thanks! Tammy
thebeadgirl said 9 years ago
cooL...I mean HOT!
SugarCubeVintage said 9 years ago
spicy goodness!!
kathyjohnson3 said 9 years ago
Looks good, wonderful pictures too!!
collectiblesatoz said 9 years ago
I think I like it. Thanks for sharing.
HouseOfMoss said 9 years ago
I've never made homemade hot sauce before... thanks for sharing this.
armcandyforyou said 9 years ago
umm.I am so trying this one! looks hot enough;)
aynart said 9 years ago
remember NOT to itch your eyes! ZING!
GreatBowlsAfire said 9 years ago
finally! a way to use all the hot peppers i grow! usually so many are just left on the vine due to super high numbers and not enough willing mouths :P ...now i can convert them into long lasting bottled fire :D Thank you Easty <3
MyWisteriaCottage said 9 years ago
You should make home made salsa also. Easy,you control amount of heat and can it so it will last for -until you use it.
accentonvintage said 9 years ago
Thanks for the recipe!
AlpineGypsy said 9 years ago
Droooly drooly droool!!! I will definitely be trying my hand at this one~ THANKS! Heidi
jbeaudet said 9 years ago
Muy caliente!
girliepains said 9 years ago
give me that metal kitchen top anyday!
AliceCouture said 9 years ago
WOw,really hot sauce!! I love hot foods :D Thanks for sharing the recipe with us ^_^
MandBJewellery said 9 years ago
Yum! I love this, my mother will love this
AndreaFuentesDesigns said 9 years ago
awesome! I am so doing this
twigandsprout said 9 years ago
I've been meaning to make hotsauce but haven't really known where to start. Thanks for reminding me, plus the great recipe!
monatao said 9 years ago
yum yum!!!
Guitarpickman said 9 years ago
spicy ;)
spiderscloset said 9 years ago
Yumm! Don't forget the industrial gloves and don't rub your eyes while making this! Very cool!
OlgaDuron said 9 years ago
Hot & Spicy. Perfect! Thanks, Eatsy
LavenderField said 9 years ago
Perfect! Just what I needed!
28gifts said 9 years ago
Don't touch ANY sensitive areas of skin after handling without gloves. Any. I find a thorough scrubbing with technu (the poison ivy soap) gets the oils off pretty well.
beatyboutique said 9 years ago
I'm going to try this, thanks!
LuLusApple said 9 years ago
My family are hot sauce aficionados lol! Gracias for the recipe!! I might try to grow some peppers this year :D
OliveLongstocking said 9 years ago
hot and delicious............... m m m !!
LittleWrenPottery said 9 years ago
wow looks a lot easier than expected! must say though I get a bit nervous about handling chilli
reveriefrance said 9 years ago
It looks great! I'm just wondering about storage? You didn't boil it all on the stove, so is it stil okay to store in the pantry or do you need to store it in the fridge?
whatahussy said 9 years ago
so excited to try this!!!
ikabags said 9 years ago
Looks yummy! I love spices :)
TwinDreamCreations said 9 years ago
I'm going to try this! I love hot sauce :)
HeavenlyNaturals said 9 years ago
Spicy is Good!
muffintopdesigns said 9 years ago
now i'm hungry. going to try this and see if the husband even notices i made it myself!
VintageNesting said 9 years ago
Has my mouth watering for sure! This is going to the top of my TO DO list.
DianaEvans said 9 years ago
oh what a great post!!! love hot sauce!!!!!
AmberGypsySky said 9 years ago
this is great! we're definitely making this!
Olympias said 9 years ago
This was GREAT!!!I loved it!Amazing post!:)
DisgustingEmperor79 said 9 years ago
SIMPLY W O N D E R F U L!!!
tomatored said 9 years ago
very cool visuals!
KettleConfections said 9 years ago
This looks amazingly delicious- and the color of the sauce looks so bold and tasty! Going to have to give this a try for sure.
genisepark said 9 years ago
Oh this looks really yummy.
ShoponSherman said 9 years ago
I love spicey food. I dont usually make my own hot sauce though. With all the warnings in the replies, it seems dangerous lol.
LoveButtons said 9 years ago
The recipe sounds great - I love spicy foods :oP
kristytrance said 9 years ago
Love the article, this is a very different recipe than the one I make. I make a about a gallon at a time for my house hold to consume in a couple of weeks. We put it on everything! Yum Yum!
houseofSTARK said 9 years ago
YUMS! Lovely colour, too!
NanneysCreek said 9 years ago
I grow my own peppers, will have to try this. Thanks for sharing.
VedaArts said 9 years ago
awesome! i have been experimenting with making my own food like mayonnaise, yogurt and such. So worth it and so fulfilling! thank you for sharing!
kittykatherine said 9 years ago
The sauce is half vinegar, so the acidity is high and it keeps well. This said, it's best kept in the fridge.
mapetitefaiblesse said 9 years ago
I'm definitely going to have to try this. My boyfriend likes his food spicy to the point that even dishes labeled spicy in restaurants aren't spicy enough for him (Food that spicy would probably dissolve my esophagus, but to each his own.) Anyway, it will be challenge to see if I can get it spicy enough for him. Thanks for the recipe!
PinesVintageClothing said 9 years ago
O hot sauce how I love you so, let me count the ways...on eggs and stir-fry and in my soup...sometimes I want to drink it from the bottle. Trying this recipe for sure. Can't wait for the homemade addition to the half a dozen other hot sauces I keep in my pantry.
Tidepools said 9 years ago
HOT! I love it spicy. Can't wait till my peppers grow so I can try this.
AnnTig said 9 years ago
Oooooooooooooo Sounds tasty! Thank you for sharings:)
soyNsuds said 9 years ago
This sounds great! You don't care about your eyes; just keep it above the waist ~ good one ;)
Vanessa said 9 years ago
You guys are hilarious!
TheWhimsicalMuse said 9 years ago
I guess you're not supposed to drink it...LOL Looks yummy, though :)
TheSpeeceCollection said 9 years ago
I am so ready for this! Let's see if my ears smoke!
BunniesandAvacado said 9 years ago
YUMMY! I want some!
Simag said 9 years ago
Yummy and i just LOVE the photos! Great with hummus and some pita:) I make my hot sause {Harissa} with ground coriander+ caraway seeds + cumin Happy Friday!
CheekyLemur said 9 years ago
Wow! Thanks for the recipe, this is one i really must give a go. I now live in France and hot sauce is one thing that is quite difficult to find here.
katylua said 9 years ago
Is there a specific NM chile variety recommended? I like to make red chile sauce out of Hatch chiles, but have a number of other NM varieties in my freezer just waiting for a purpose to shine.
credd said 9 years ago
i made this hot sauce today with peppers that i grew last year...and let me tell you...i may never buy hot sauce again!!!
RPotterStudio said 9 years ago
Delicious! Nothing like some spice.
aBeachBreeze said 9 years ago
I'm a big baby when it comes to hot stuff, so I used poblano and anaheim peppers to make this. Came out perfectly. It's delicious!!!
kabbalahdesigners said 9 years ago
Yummy, looks good
shoebx said 9 years ago
As a caribbean girl, myself, I love hotsauce. This is a good recipe.
poorjimsvintage said 9 years ago
I SENSE THE CHEMISTRY! AND LOOK! no ones got rings. The color of that sauce is beautiful and I love that old blender.
GlenEchoDesigns said 9 years ago
I am so excited to try this! The addition of the sherry sounds amazing!
jiang888 said 9 years ago
Nice Post. I dont know if every blog needs conversions! Or is conversion = interaction? Because the interaction between a blog and its readers is so necessary! And tbh a funblog can also have funny title and less points of interest,l if its done well! Microsoft Visio Standard 2010
lulouandada said 9 years ago
Oh my goodness, you've found the way into my heart.
aoisart said 9 years ago
I must send this link to my husband!! Thank you!
hempandhamsa said 9 years ago
I love pepper! All day. Everyday.
psylent777 said 9 years ago
I just made a batch with guajillo and chili de arbol... I have to say, a _little_ too salty for my taste. I added a tsp of honey and lime juice. Tasty! Next time I might try halving the salt.
ikibotoke said 8 years ago
I just made it and it came out alright. Not amazing, but definitely not spicy enough for me. I added 11 chiles de arbol and it's just giving me a little zing. Probably going to use chiles japones next time with a few pequin peppers or maybe something hotter.
Stephanie Maslow Blackman from metalicious said 8 years ago
Revisiting this recipe now that Fall is here. Yum!
Jérôme from artistedubois said 7 years ago
Really good sauce!!! fun and easy to do!!! But I've use habanero (use latex glove to manipulate)!!! I also add a little bit of ginger! REALY but also REALY GOOD