Matt Bray – Page 89 – PepperScale

Old Bay Tartar Sauce

Heaven with crab cakes…

There’s no denying the uber-love for Old Bay in our spice rack – the Maryland crab seasoning has the perfect mix of mild heat and bold spices. It’s so distinctive and flavorful. No crab cake is right without a little Old Bay along for the ride.

One of our favorite ways to bring that Old Bay flavor to crab cakes – or really any seafood – is via homemade Old Bay tartar sauce. The mix of mayonnaise, sweet relish, and Old Bay delivers a flavor wallop – tangy, creamy, warm, and earthy all in one. The heat in Old Bay comes from paprika in the seasoning itself. If you want a little extra fire to the flavor, add a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder to the mix.

Sriracha Margarita

by Matt Bray

Rooster-rita all the way…

Sriracha goes with anything…seriously. For instance, turn that classic margarita into a Rooster-rita with a little dab of the famous sauce. It provides plenty of heat and a nice splash of color.

Spice up the Sriracha margarita even more with a hot sauce salted rim. It’s easy to do, and provides a delicious kick from the minute your lips hit the glass. Top it off with a jalapeño wheel garnish and you’re off to the races with this delicious spicy cocktail twist.

Peruvian White Habanero Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are Peruvian white habaneros? The creamy white hue and small shape of the Peruvian white habanero (a.k.a. white habanero or Peruvian white lightning habanero) may make you think the chili’s heat is lesser than its orange cousins. But the white habanero packs an equal, if …

Harissa Yogurt

by Matt Bray

Delicious on burgers, great as a dip…

Harissa can do no wrong in our book. Its bold mix of spices – including dried chilies, coriander, cumin, and mint – is perfect for breathing fiery life into what would otherwise be a bland dish or appetizer. This harissa yogurt recipe is excellent as a topper for burgers (and don’t forget turkey or veggie burgers…yum.) But don’t just spread harissa yogurt, use it as a dip as well. Sweet potato fries have a perfect spicy dipping sauce here. It’s also delicious with chopped raw veggies as a crudité dip.

Caribbean Red Habanero Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are Caribbean red habaneros? Don’t expect a typical habanero level of heat when you use a Caribbean red habanero. These chilies ratchet things up with a spiciness bordering on extreme (300,000 to 445,000 Scoville heat units). With a citrusy, slightly smoky flavor, Caribbean reds …

Berbere Spice Mix

by Matt Bray

A delicious Ethiopian spice blend…

If you’re aiming for authentic Ethiopian cuisine, getting to know berbere spice mix is a critical first step. It’s a blend that’s used for everything from a steak and chicken rub to a finishing season for vegetables and dips. The heat is mild – delivered from chili powder (a spice mix itself) and paprika.

This berbere spice mix recipe is quick to make, using pre-ground spices many of which are common to a well-stocked spice rack. For an even better flavor, try toasting fresh whole spices instead, then crushing them using a mortar and pestle.

Piquillo Pepper Sauce

by Matt Bray

Sweet and smoky…

Looking for a sauce to pair with savory foods? A simple piquillo pepper sauce can deliciously do the trick. The combination of sweet and smoke that piquillos bring to the table are hard to match. We double down on the smokiness here with a little hint of smoked paprika. Pair the sauce with chorizo or steaks for a perfect salty/sweet combo. Or use the sauce to bring life to simple chicken dishes.

The sauce is not overly spicy – piquillo peppers are mild in heat (500 to 1,000 Scoville heat units) and smoked paprika is relatively mild as well. If you want extra spice, add in a dash of cayenne pepper powder to fire up the sauce.

Purple Beauty Pepper: A Royal Bell

by Matt Bray

Beautifully colored and sweet…

Scoville heat units (SHU): 0
Jalapeño reference point: 2,000 to 8,500 times milder
Origin: South America
Seeds: Purple Beauty pepper on Amazon

There’s more to bell peppers than greens, oranges, yellows, and reds. Meet the Purple Beauty pepper – a bell pepper that ranges from royal purple to nearly black and packs in extra sweetness. Its looks make the Purple Beauty a lovely and unique sweet pepper for summer gardening. Served raw in salads they maintain their purple color, but cooking these peppers magically turns their color to a vibrant green.

Chili Vs. Chile: PepperScale Showdown

by Matt Bray

Identity crisis… For a food as popular as hot peppers, there sure is a lot of confusion over its name. Is it a “chili” or “chile”. Or maybe even “chilli”? These are all common variants, but is one more correct than the other? Why do …

Japones Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are japones peppers? The japones pepper (a.k.a. santaka pepper or Japanese pepper) is an Asian spice staple often used in Japanese and Chinese cuisines, especially Szechuan and Hunan dishes. They are “fire bringers” – providing heat to a recipe without a lot of flavor …