Shito Sauce
While Shito is the Ga word for pepper in a Ghanaian language, It is widely used as the name for this very hot black pepper sauce. Shito has as its base, peppers, spices, dried prawns, fish or vegetable oil, ginger, dried fish, garlic, peppers, and spices.
Its signature look has oil flowing at the top of the sauce. This helps to preserve the sauce traditionally without need for refrigeration.
As with every dish out there, the blend of spices and fish differs from one region to the other.
It is used to enjoy a variety of dishes such as boiled rice, rice and peas(waakye), kenkey, and banku. Can be added to stir-fries, as a side to barbecues or be used as a dip to deep-fried foods.
Because of its potent smoky flavors as well as its rich dip texture, a little goes a long way and is often likened to the Malaysian sauce called Sambal Belacha.
Shito Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil of choice (except Olive Oil)
- 2 Onions diced
- 50 g Shito Chillies (50g green scotch bonnet peppers is a good substitute.)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 4 Ground Guinea Peppers (Fresh or Dry)
- 2- inch Fresh Finger Root
- 1 Sprig of Thyme (Optional)
- 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
- 50 ml Meat Stock (Fish or Chicken)
- 60 g (2 oz)
- 30 g Dry Prawns (Powdered)
- 30 g Smoked Fish Powder
- ½ tsp Salt to taste
Instructions
- Pour oil in a saucepan and turn on medium heat,
- Add chopped onions and stir-fry till translucent
- Once it begins to brown, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Once it cools, transfer into a blender or food processor.
- Add all other ingredients on the list and blend coarsely (not puree)
- Pour the blend into the saucepan and simmer gently for 20mins or until color the sauce changes to a dark brown color.
