GARDEN EGG SAUCE

I am not a fan of garden eggs and no I have lost my mind posting a recipe for stuff I don’t like. Before you close your browser page and write me off completely let me assure you that I adore this sauce and you will too even if you hate garden eggs. The first time I tried this sauce I could not believe this deliciousness was made from garden eggs.

When I was younger I used to pretend to like garden eggs because all my older cousins that ate it used to make it look so yummy. I would take bit and wash it down quickly with water then rub the seeds on my mouth so that it looked like I was eating it lol! I think about it now and just shake my head. Why was I punishing myself and forcing myself to eat something so bitter?

 Eventually I realised it was not worth it and I stopped pretending; it is just too bitter; but believe me, something magical happens to garden eggs when you make it into a pepper sauce. Honestly I don’t know what it is but it just transforms from this bitter fruit into something oh so spectacular. My favourite way to eat garden egg sauce is with yam but it’s delicious with potatoes, cocoyam and bread and a whole host of other things.



If you can’t get garden eggs, aubergines (eggplant to my American readers) make a great alternative. Let’s get to it shall we?

Garden Egg Sauce

Ingredients 

10 small to medium garden eggs

2 medium red bell peppers

3 small  to medium sized onions

1 400g tin of plum tomatoes

3 scotch bonnet chillies (ata rodo; you can add less if you don’t like spicy food)

1/3 cup of chicken stock (can substitute vegetable or beef stock)

4 knorr cubes (or any other seasoning cubes you like)

1 tbsp knorr aromat all purpose seasoning

Quarter cup of sunflower or vegetable oil

¼ tsp salt

Method

Place the garden eggs in a large pot of salted boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes or until soft. Once the garden eggs are soft, place in some cold water (this makes it easier to peel), peel and discard the tops.

Pulse the peeled garden eggs in a food processor or mini chopper about 3 – 4 times. You just want a rough chop so make sure not to blend finely. If you don’t have a food processor you can roughly mash the peeled garden eggs with a fork. Set aside.

(My poor chopping board looks battered lol)

Place the red bell peppers, onions, plum tomatoes and the scotch bonnet chillies into a blender and blend until it’s almost smooth. You don’t want it to be smooth; it should still have some texture like the picture below.

Heat a quarter cup of oil in a saucepan until hot; I know this sounds like a lot of oil but a lot of it will be skimmed off later as it will rise to the top. Add in the blended pepper mixture, stock, aromat, Knorr cubes and salt. Bring the pepper mixture to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the oil rises to the top.

Skim the oil off the top of the pepper sauce into a small bowl; look how much oil I got off mine! Don't discard it; its super flavourful. I mixed mine into some marinade for chicken and it was delish. 

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt or aromat to suit your personal taste. For those worried about uncooked spices aromat is a table spice that you can add to your food like salt. It doesn’t need to be cooked. Stir in the garden egg mixture till fully incorporated. 

Thats it! you're done!