Perfecting a recipe can take years – generations, even. Finding the right balance of flavours and textures requires considerable skill and patience, but when done well, the end result is unforgettable. That’s what makes a classic a classic, right?
McIlhenny Company’s Tabasco brand is a great example.
The range of sauces is iconic around the world, and for over 140 years the Original Red Sauce has been made in exactly the same way. In fact, all of the Tabasco pepper sauces are still made in the same place the brand was founded: the beautiful Avery Island, Louisiana.
The attention to detail that goes into creating Tabasco’s suite of pepper sauces, which ranges from the mild Green Sauce to the spicy Habanero Sauce, is second to none, and that’s why chefs around the world consider Tabasco an essential part of their kitchen arsenal.
Perhaps the most important thing for chefs to note is that when not overused, Tabasco sauces enliven the flavours of food, without masking them. When used in cooking rather than as an optional extra once plated, the heat level of the pepper sauces mellow, leaving the deep and distinctive Tabasco sauce flavour.
This was key to chef Regan Porteous’ decision when incorporating Tabasco in dishes at the recently opened Tequila Mockingbird in Sydney’s Paddington, which serves up contemporary Latin American flavours.
“Heat and spice play a massive role in Mexican and Peruvian cuisine but we have to work very carefully and tone down the heat for the Australian palate, so that flavours are not outshone by the impact of the heat. Balance is very important here,” said Porteous.
Tequila Mockingbird’s Whitefish Ceviche, a Peruvian dish, is a perfect example of a dish boasting delicate flavours that should be enhanced but not overpowered by intense spice or heat.
“I’ve chosen to use the Tabasco Green Sauce for the Whitefish Ceviche, as it’s a lot milder than the red and complements the delicate slices of paper thin raw fish with a subtle spice.”
“I’ve also matched the Tabasco Chipotle Sauce with a crisp soft shell crab taco – its rich, smoky flavour holds well with the strength of the crab meat and pickled onions.”
If you’d like some inspiration on how to use the Tabasco range and the new 1.89L bottles that are now available to foodservice businesses, head to tabascosauce.com.au.
White Fish Ceviche with Tabasco Green Sauce
Ingredients:
- 50g Hondashi
- 300g milk
- 200g Aji Amarillo
- 100g TABASCO Green Jalapeo Pepper Sauce
- 300g white onion
- 100g coriander
- 200g lemon juice
- 100g sashimi grade white fish (cubed)
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
Method:
- Place the Hondashi, Milk, Aji Amarillo, TABASCO Green Jalapeo Pepper Sauce, white onion and coriander into a blender. Blitz till smooth and add the lemon juice to taste.
- Store in the fridge until ready to go.
- To assemble the ceviche, simply toss the whitefish through the TABASCO Green Jalapeo Pepper Sauce dressing and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour into a serving vessel, top with the fresh sliced red onion, garnish with coriander and served with crisps on the side.
Raw yellow fin tuna, sweet lime, guindillas and Tabasco Green Sauce
Ingredients:
- 300g yellow fin tuna, skin and blood removed, lightly massaged with Tabasco Green Sauce
- 1 golden shallot, sliced
- 1 tbs watermelon radish, finely sliced
- coriander leaves
- small guindillas, pickled Spanish chillies
- sea salt
- Tabasco Green Sauce
Method:
- Using a sashimi grade piece of yellow fin tuna, slice 2-3mm thick slices and arrange on serving plates.
- Top the tuna with the, radish, shallot, coriander and guindillas
- Just before serving, finish with a generous amount of sweet lime dressing
- Finish with a few drops of Tabasco Green Sauce
Sweet lime dressing
- 2 tbs lime juice
- 1/2 tbs brown sugar
- 2 tsp Tabasco Green Sauce
- 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Wagyu ‘carne cruda’ & caper salad with Tabasco Sauce
[serves 6]
Ingredients:
- 300g wagyu topside, marble score 9+
- 1 lemon, finely zested
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- salt
- pepper
- 3 tbs lemon oil
- 1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
- horseradish
Salad
- ¼ cup celery leaves
- ¼ cup young parsley leaves
- 2 tsp oregano leaves
- 2 tsp capers
- 2 tsp caperberries, sliced
- 1 tbs cornichons, halved lengthways
- salt
- pepper
- lemon oil
Method:
- Finely dice or mince the beef no more than 30 minutes before serving.
- Just before serving add the lemon zest, shallot, salt, pepper, lemon oil, Tabasco Sauce and mix well.
- Form into shape and then place on a serving plate.
- Toss the salad ingredients gently, place alongside the meat, dress with more lemon oil and shave horseradish over the entire dish