Bottle of Pique
(click to enlarge)

Pique


Puerto Rico   -   Pique
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 750 ml
**
15+ min
Must		 A condiment on every table in Puerto Rico, ready to be sprinkled on anything needing a bit of perking up. Also a great dip. This recipe makes it medium hot, tasty, and not too acidic. See also Comments.

1-1/2
-------
2
6
6
12
3
2
2
10
1/2
-------
3
c
---
oz
oz
oz

cl



t
---
T
Water
--Bottle
Pineapple (1)
Vinegar, white
Vinegar, cider
Chili, hot (2)
Garlic
Culantro leaf (3)
Oregano sprig
Peppercorns, blk
Salt
----------------
Olive Oil ExtV
Make   -   (15 min + aging)
  1. If not on hand, bring 1-1/2 cups WATER to a boil and let cool.
  2. Cut fresh PINEAPPLE into pieces that will fit into the bottle.
  3. Peel GARLIC and crack just a little. Stem CHILIS and cut lengthwise almost to the cap.
  4. In a sterile 750mm bottle, place all Bottle items.
  5. Pour in cooled Water, leaving enough room at the top for the Olive Oil.
  6. Pour Olive Oil into the bottle to seal the contents from mold.
  7. Cap the bottle and set aside at room temperature for up to 7 days, then refrigerate (if there's any left by then). It will keep for months provided the Olive Oil covers the top of the liquid.
  8. Serving: I pour some into a measuring cup, then decant the Olive Oil on top back into the bottle. The liquid is then presented at table in a cruet, containing a red chili for decoration. It will still have some Olive Oil on top, which is not a problem. Additional Olive Oil can be added to the bottle as needed to keep the contents covered.
NOTES:

  1. Pineapple:

      Fresh Pineapple pieces or cores (use more) are used. Other firm fruit can be used, such as papaya, avocado, sour orange, tamarind, mango, or guava.

  2. Chili, Hot:

      In Puerto Rico, tiny red Bird Chilis (Ají Caballero or Jamaican Bird Pepper) or Habaneros are often used. A mix of very hot and not-so-hot Chilis is often used. In North America, Thai Chilis are most used - not as hot as Jamaican Bird Peppers or Habaneros, hotter than Aji Caballero. You can use red or green, or a mix of the two.

  3. Culantro:

      [Sawtooth Herb; Recao (Puerto Rico)]   Popular in the Caribbean, Central America, and Southeast Asia. Here in Los Angeles, this herb is easiest to find in the large Asian markets. If you can't get it, use Cilantro leaves and tender stems, but about twice as much. For details see our Culantro page.

  4. Comments:

      Recipes for Pique vary in the extreme. The rule is: it is vinegar infused with chili peppers, herbs, spices, and often fruit. Other ingredients often used are Lime Juice, Rum, Tequila, Sugar, Onion, and Bay Leaves. The chilis may vary from moderately hot to extremely hot, or a mix of very hot and not-so-hot. Some use only Vinegar, no water, and then usually skip the Olive Oil seal. All vinegar is very tart, while this recipe is almost "sipping quality". The amount of included ingredients may be sparse, as in the photo, or almost packed, depending on hotness of Chilis, hotness desired, and other ingredients. In the home, it is commonly made up in empty liquor bottles.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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