A saucy affair

Habanero Tabasco spiced ricotta toast

Hot, tangy, and a flavour bomb add-on, the slender bottles of Tabasco sauce have for long been a familiar fixture - right next to the sweeter ketchup - on tables at American eateries, cafés and fast-food diners across the world. Meaning "a place where the soil is humid" or "place of the coral or oyster shell", the word ‘Tabasco' is of Mexican-Indian origin, and was picked as the brand name by founder Edmund McIlhenny who started growing the capsicum frutescens peppers on Avery Island in South Louisiana, USA, in the 1800s. But it was on this day in 1870 that McIlhenny patented the improved method for making the pepper sauce which went on to become a world- famous accompaniment.

With a wide range of iterations in production now, Tabasco sauces are also used in cocktails, marinades, as seasoning and to make other hot sauces. Chef Gaurav Gidwani, F&B head, BrewDog India, points out that the capsaicin - a component of chilli peppers - in the sauce also boasts of some health benefits. "Capsaicin's anti-inflammatory qualities make it an effective supplement for promoting heart health. Studies have found that capsaicin can increase your metabolism, which increases the rate at which you use energy and burn fat stores," he reveals, adding that it also lends to pain relief. Here are two ways to use the pepper sauce:

Habanero Tabasco spiced ricotta toast

Habanero Tabasco spiced ricotta toast is made with chia seed-crusted Chikmagalur avocado on sourdough toast, shares Gidwani. "The Habanero Tabasco goes well with the saltiness of ricotta and creaminess of avocado. The vinegar-based sauce cuts through the richness of ricotta and avocado, lending a depth of flavour to the toast," he adds.

Ingredients
>>1 sourdough toast
>>3 gm salted butter
>>8 gm arugula
>>1/2 avocado
>>10 gm chia seeds
>>15 gm ricotta
>>5 ml habanero Tabasco
>>5 gm cherry tomatoes
>>2 ml extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
>>1 gm microgreens
>>Sea salt to taste

Method
Take a slice from the loaf and toast it. Spread butter on the toast. Arrange the arugula on it; drizzle EVOO. Season with salt as per taste. Make a crust of chia seeds on the halved avocado. Slice it lengthwise and arrange on the toast. Crumble the ricotta cheese, spiked with habanero Tabasco. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, and place on the toast. Sprinkle red amaranth and pumpkin microgreens, and serve.

Khooni Mary

Tabasco sauce is a key ingredient of the much-loved bloody Mary cocktail. Nilesh Patel, beverage head (west), Impresario Handmade Restaurants, says, "The Tabasco sauce in khooni [bloody] Mary creates an overall invigorating effect in the cocktail, acting as a catalyst to bring out the best of each ingredient. The sauce makes the cocktail feel both suave and strong."

Ingredients
>>60 ml vodka
>>120 ml roasted bell pepper purée
>>60 ml roasted tomato purée
>>5 ml in-house smoke solution
>>A pinch of salt
>>A pinch of black pepper
>>8 dashes of Tabasco sauce
>>3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Method
In a mixing jar, add proportionate quantities of the tomato and bell pepper purees. Pour in vodka, the Tabasco sauce and the remaining ingredients. Blend them well. Fill a cut glass with ice and top it off with the mixture you prepared. Give it a crunchy finish by garnishing the preparation with a salted cracker cheese sandwich and celery leaves.