Update: Storing this sauce in a squeeze bottle makes applying it to foods much easier. If you plan to use it as a dip, keep a jar, but for tacos, tostadas, sandwiches, pretzel sticks and quick drizzles, a squeeze bottle is ideal.
Have you ever read a recipe and immediately thought, “I must make that right now!”? That was my reaction when I saw Smoked Paprika and Chipotle Sauce and the accompanying Lemons in Salt on Shauna Ahern’s lovely blog, Gluten Free Girl. Creamy, smoky, bright and a little spicy, this sauce lived up to every expectation. But first, a short story about delayed gratification.
I needed three ingredients I didn’t have on hand: smoked paprika, chipotles in adobo, and preserved lemons. I ordered smoked paprika online right away and salted some lemons the day I read the recipe. The only missing piece was chipotles in adobo, and I convinced myself the well-stocked little grocery in the next town would carry them.
When I asked a clerk for chipotles, she looked at me blankly and called me “ma’am” while the manager was equally clueless. The local shop did not know the product, so I ordered the chipotles online and waited impatiently for the delivery. Two days later the parcel arrived and I finally had everything.
The preparation is delightfully simple. In less than five minutes I had the sauce ready. I started tasting it with a pretzel stick, then carrot sticks, then a corner of tortilla. It’s creamy, silky and balanced: smoky from the paprika, tangy from the preserved lemon, garlicky up front and finishing with a pleasant chipotle heat. Over the next few days I used it in many ways—on grilled chicken, tossed with pasta, spread on burgers, thinned for a salad dressing, and as a chip and fry dip. It excelled every time.
This sauce is now a staple in my kitchen. We even have a dedicated container for “The Sauce,” and whenever it runs low the household politely (and sometimes not-so-politely) requests a refill.
Smoked Paprika and Chipotle Sauce
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 2 cups mayonnaise 16 ounces
- 1 to 3 chipotles in adobo from a can, include some of the sauce
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 garlic cloves peeled, coarsely chopped
- 1/2-2 teaspoons preserved lemon peel in salt to taste, minced
Instructions
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Important: don’t overprocess. If blended too long the mayonnaise can separate. Process only until smooth; small bits of chipotle are pleasant.
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Combine all ingredients in a blender and run on high until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition with the exact ingredients you use if needed.
Lemons in Salt are worth making immediately and keeping on hand. The salt draws out moisture and mellows the lemons, concentrating their flavor and creating savory, salty lemon peels that add depth to many dishes. The salt leftover from the jar also makes a wonderful finishing salt.
I tuck minced preserved lemon peel into roasting chickens, stir it into salads and marinades, and sometimes nibble a bit as a salty snack. Once you start making preserved lemons you’ll find many uses for them—so make plenty and replenish the jar whenever you juice more lemons.
Lemons in Salt
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- Lemon peels from juiced lemons, trimmed of most pulp
- Kosher salt
Instructions
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Cut the lemon peels into slices; size and shape don’t matter—smaller pieces fit better in a jar.
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Place the lemon peels in a mason jar and cover them with a generous amount of kosher salt.
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Put the lid on and shake well to distribute the salt.
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Add more salt if needed to cover the peels. Let the jar sit at room temperature and use the preserved peels as needed.
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Top up the jar with more peels and salt whenever you juice more lemons.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate with your ingredients if exact values are required.