The Dreaded Red Menace
Submitted by oldtelman
A fiery raspberry-chile marinade with orange zest, raspberry vinegar, and fresh orange juice. Use it on chicken, shrimp, or grilled meats for a sweet-hot kick that lasts for weeks in the fridge.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minThis marinade means business. It’s got the fruity sweetness of fresh raspberries crashing headlong into the burn of hot chili peppers, with orange zest and vinegar tying the whole thing together.
Raspberry vinegar gets reduced with chilies and orange zest until it’s concentrated and punchy. Pureed raspberries simmer in gently, then fresh orange juice goes in at the end to brighten everything up.
The result is a gorgeous, deep red sauce that works brilliantly on grilled chicken, seared shrimp, or anything else that could use a jolt of sweet heat.
It keeps for up to two weeks in the fridge, so one batch goes a long way.
Chef Tips
- Use the plastic dough blade on your food processor for the raspberries, not the steel blade. Steel crushes the seeds and adds a bitter, gritty taste
- Strain both the reduced vinegar and the raspberry puree to keep the final marinade silky smooth
- Adjust the heat by varying the type and number of chilies. Habaneros for serious fire, jalapeños for a gentler warmth
- Brush it on during the last few minutes of grilling to avoid burning the sugars in the fruit
Ingredients
Directions
Use the plastic blade for raspberries and other similar berries.
Combine the chiles, orange zest, and vinegar in a heavy nonreactive pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce the vinegar to ⅓ cup, strain, and discard the solids.
Return the vinegar to the saucepan. Purée the raspberries in a food processor fitted with a plastic dough blade.
(A steel blade will crush the seeds, which will lend a bitter taste to the food.) Then strain.
Add the raspberry purée to the vinegar and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
Cool to room temperature and add the orange juice.
The marinade will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight jar for 1 to 2 weeks.
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