Salt-Cured Calabrian Chili Paste

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The southern Italian chili paste that lives on restaurant line stations — deep red, salty, fruity and hot enough to wake up a whole pot of pasta. Fresh red chiles are salt-cured overnight to draw out water and concentrate their flavour, then half get roasted for smoky depth before everything is blended with garlic, red wine vinegar and a generous pour of olive oil. A short, gentle simmer in oil tames the raw garlic bite and buys you months in the fridge. Spoon it into ragù, whisk it into vinaigrette, smear it under mozzarella on pizza, or stir it through soft butter for the best bread you'll eat this month.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb fresh red chiles (Fresno, red jalapeño, or Calabrian if you can find them)
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 red habanero or red serrano chiles, for extra heat (optional)

• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Sicilian on the branch
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
• 1/2 tsp sugar, if your chiles taste sharp

• 2 clean 8-oz jars with lids
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for sealing the surface

Instructions

1. Put on disposable gloves — you will be handling a pound and a half of chiles and your fingers will remember it for two days. Pull the stems off all the chiles and halve them lengthwise. Scrape out and discard the seeds and white pith from about two-thirds of them, leaving the rest seeded for heat. If using habaneros or serranos, halve and seed them too.
2. Toss the halved chiles with the 2 tablespoons kosher salt in a bowl until every piece is coated. Transfer to a colander set over a bowl, cover loosely, and leave at cool room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. The salt will pull out a surprising amount of pink liquid — this is what keeps the finished paste thick instead of watery. Discard the liquid.
3. Heat the oven to 425°F. Spread half of the cured chiles cut-side down on a foil-lined sheet pan and roast 12 to 15 minutes, until the skins blister and the edges char in spots. Let cool. Do not rinse or peel them; the char is the point. Leave the other half raw — the mix of raw brightness and roasted depth is what makes this taste like the jarred Italian stuff rather than plain hot sauce.
4. Blot all the chiles (roasted and raw) firmly with paper towels to remove surface moisture. Combine them in a food processor with the garlic, vinegar, oregano, fennel seeds, and 1/4 cup of the olive oil.
5. Pulse in 1-second bursts, scraping down twice, until you have a coarse, spoonable paste with visible flecks — about 20 to 25 pulses. Stop before it becomes a smooth purée; texture is what lets it cling to pasta.
6. Warm the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil in a wide skillet or small saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes. Add the chili paste — it will hiss. Reduce to low.
7. Cook at a bare simmer, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes. The paste should darken slightly, the raw garlic smell should turn sweet and nutty, and oil should visibly separate and pool at the edges. Keep the heat low enough that nothing browns or sticks; if it spits aggressively, pull it off the heat for 30 seconds.
8. Taste carefully with a clean spoon (blow on it first). It should be salty, hot, and tangy. Add the sugar only if the chiles taste harsh, and a splash more vinegar if it tastes flat. Cool completely in the pan, at least 45 minutes.
9. Pack the cooled paste into clean jars, pressing down with the back of a spoon to push out air pockets. Pour a 1/4-inch layer of olive oil over the surface to seal, then cap. Refrigerate.
10. Rest at least 24 hours before serious use — the salt, garlic and oregano need a day to marry. Bring to room temperature or stir well before spooning out, and always re-cover the surface with a little oil after digging in.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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