Main course Contemporary
Sunny yellow pepper and pear sauce
A smooth yellow pepper and sweet pear sauce with orange and a subtle ginger flavour. It is mild, with a tangy flavour that balances the sweetness. Serve warm or cold.
Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
For a larger batch, use a wider saucepan so the ingredients heat evenly. Simmering and reducing may take longer. Add the vinegar and optional sugar gradually, tasting as you go.
You’ll need
Wide, heavy-based saucepan with a lid · Knife and chopping board · Fine grater and citrus juicer · Spoon or spatula · Jug blender suitable for warm liquids or a stick blender · Fine sieve — optional · Clean storage containers
Method
0/7 stepsPrepare the ingredients
Wash the peppers, remove the stalks, seeds and white membranes, then cut the flesh into roughly 1 cm dice. Peel and core the pear and dice it to a similar size. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Finely grate the ginger. Zest the portion of orange specified in the ingredients, then squeeze out its juice; keep the zest and juice separate.
Prepare the ingredients Soften the onion
Heat 1 tbsp of clarified butter in the saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and a small pinch of salt. Sweat gently for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until softened and translucent but not browned.
04:00Soften the onion Add the garlic, ginger and orange zest
Add the garlic, ginger and all the prepared orange zest; reserve the juice for simmering. Stir for 30–40 seconds, just until fragrant. The garlic should remain pale.
Add the garlic, ginger and orange zest Simmer until completely soft
Add the peppers, pear and reserved orange juice. Pour in the vinegar, starting at the lower end of the listed range; reserve the rest for final seasoning. Add the turmeric now, if using. Stir, cover and simmer over a low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The peppers should be completely soft and yield easily to a fork, and the pear should be starting to break down. Continue simmering if the peppers are still firm. Add a splash of water if the mixture starts to catch.
20:00Simmer until completely soft Blend until smooth
Take the saucepan off the heat. If using a jug blender, allow the sauce to reach a temperature permitted by the manufacturer, then blend in batches according to the appliance instructions, allowing steam to escape. Never seal hot sauce in an airtight blending jug. Blend for about a minute until no discernible pieces remain. Alternatively, use a stick blender, keeping the head submerged to minimise splashing. For an even smoother sauce, pass it through a fine sieve.
01:00Blend until smooth Season the sauce
Taste the sauce. Add the white pepper and more salt if needed. If it needs more acidity, add the reserved vinegar gradually. If it is too sharp or not sweet enough, add some of the optional sugar, stir until dissolved and taste again before adding more. You may not need the full listed amount.
Season the sauce Adjust the consistency and serve
The finished sauce should be velvety, coat the back of a spoon and pour from it in a broad ribbon rather than sit as a stiff purée. If too thick, thin it gradually with water. If too thin, return it to the saucepan and simmer uncovered over a low heat for 2–5 minutes, stirring often. Serve straight away or cool quickly following the storage instructions.
Adjust the consistency and serve
Tips
- Do not brown the onion or garlic: browning changes the delicate flavour and darkens the sauce.
- Check a piece of pepper with a fork before blending. Its flesh should break apart easily; a soft pear alone is not enough.
- Pass the sauce through a fine sieve to remove tiny pieces of pepper skin and make it even smoother.
- Serve warm or cold alongside roasted vegetables, fish or poultry.
Storage
Transfer the sauce to a clean, scalded, heatproof container. Cool quickly, preferably in small, shallow containers, and refrigerate within 2 hours of preparation. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, freeze the completely cooled sauce in portions for up to 3 months, leaving room for expansion. Defrost in the fridge; if serving warm, reheat while stirring until piping hot throughout. Filling a scalded jar with hot sauce does not make it suitable for storage at room temperature.
Timing
Hands-on: 25 min · Cooking: 30 min