Name: Fermented Hot Sauce
Yield: Makes about 2¾ cups
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves; 1 pound fresh red chiles (such as cayenne, Fresno, or Holland), coarsely chopped; 3 tablespoons kosher salt; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1 cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons achiote (annatto) seeds; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; ¾ cup distilled white vinegar; A 1-pint glass jar; a layer of cheesecloth; Achiote seeds can be found in specialty stores, in the spice section of some supermarkets, and online.

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Alex Lau

Adding olive oil to this hot sauce recipe from Dan Kluger of Loring Place in NYC lends it body and mellows some of the heat.

Garlic and Achiote Fermented Hot Sauce

Recipe notes