African Heat, Bottled in New Jersey
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
Published: April 9, 2008
Tiny African bird’s-eye chilies pack a fiery wallop. The chilies, called piri-piri in some parts of the world, are made into a sauce in South Africa, West Africa, Portugal and two of its former colonies: Mozambique and Brazil.
Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
In Portugal, grilled chicken slathered with piri-piri is a popular dish, one that Peter Mantas and Leslie Feingold served at Mázi, their restaurant in Bradley Beach, N.J. It has closed, but they are still making the sauce in small batches with the chilies, soybean oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and a splash of whiskey. Along with searing heat, the sauce has an alluring roasted pepper complexity that Mr. Mantas said comes from sun-drying the chilies.
Piri-piri sauce is $7.50 plus $3 shipping for 10.75 ounces, or $50 for six bottles from Mázi 401, P.O. Box 851, Asbury Park, N.J. 07712; pay by check or money order. It is sold at some shops in New Jersey and at Murray’s Cheese Shop in Manhattan and murrayscheese.com for $9.99: (732) 775-8828 or mazi401.com.
Comentários