South Carolina Hot Sauce

Description from bottle: Larynx Lava is a journey for your taste buds. Red habaneros are kissed with an afterglow of tangerine, ginger and fresh herbs. Try Larynx Lava on grilled scallops, crab cakes, shrimp, chicken, veal, pork, sushi, stir-fry dishes, cheeses, vegetables, wraps and sandwiches.

Ingredients: Pineapple, red habanero peppers, fresh onions, fresh ginger root, fresh garlic, distilled vinegar, fresh lime, fresh tangerine, fresh orange, fresh herbs, honey, seasonings, spices, citric acid, xanthan gum & kosher salt.

I love hot sauces that are crafted by small manufacturers. So much more love and attention goes into each bottle, even though hot sauce production for the smaller folks may just be a hobby and not a source of income. Julie & Riff began making hot sauces after they ended up growing way too many peppers - always an excellent reason to jump into hot sauce manufacturing.

Palmetto Pepper Potions was kind enough to send over samples of their Larynx Lava, Molten Golden (review to follow soon) and Daily Red. The Daily Red bottle was busted when it arrived so I can’t give a through review of that one, but it did taste & smell pretty good. I didn’t want to taste too much and end up eating shards of glass.

So onto Larynx Lava - After reading the ingredients and seeing that the first ingredient was pineapple, I began to rack my brain on how to “field” test this sauce. The sauce has a strong ginger aroma that’s backed up with the sweet smell of the pineapple & other fruits.

Straight on the tongue: Again, the ginger prevails and is the first to assault your tongue and nasal passage. But within seconds, the heat of the habanero punches your taste buds and begins to rough them up. Finally the pineapple comes in to smooth things out, leaving you with a pleasant burn and Asian/Island flavor that lingers long after the burn recedes.

Field Test #1: The boys and I decided to hit Chipotle for lunch, so I opted for a burrito bowl with the shredded beef and spicy salsa. Granted - Mexican food may not have been the best medium for Larynx Lava, but it worked out just fine. I ended up using half the bottle in one sitting. The sweetness of the sauce over-powered the meal, but I found myself enjoying it nonetheless.

Field Test #2: Chinese Food. Now this is where Larynx Lava really shines. Eating Larynx Lava on Mexican food left me with a strong craving for sweet ‘n sour pork, so a few days later I did what all good New Yorkers do: ordered up some late night Chinese. Yum. Now, had I done my research properly, I would have realized that Larynx Lava took home the Golden Chile in the Asian Hot Sauce category at this years Zest Fest. But with a list of winners that long, who can really remember them all. But after throwing the remainder of the bottle onto my sweet ‘n sour I can attest to the fact that this sauce is deserving of a Golden Chile - especially when properly applied.

Recipe Suggestions
More here.
Larynx Lava Peanut Glazed Chicken Tenders
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
1 TB. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
½ cup freshly-ground peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
½ cup honey
¼ cup Larynx Lava hot sauce (more if additional fiery flavor is desired)

Mix peanut butter, honey, and Larynx Lava and warm this sauce mixture over low heat in a small sauce pan. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken tenders and soy sauce. Sauté chicken tenders until browned and fully cooked, turning frequently, approximately 5-6 minutes per side. Serve chicken tenders with the warm Larynx Lava/peanut dipping sauce. This makes an easy and delicious appetizer for parties.

Coconut Crusted Tilapia with Larynx Lava
4 tilapia filets
7-oz. package of shredded coconut
2 cups stone-ground yellow corn meal
2 cups plain low-fat yogurt cooking spray
1/2 cup canola oil
1 bottle Larynx Lava hot sauce
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 fresh lime, cut into wedges

Spray non-stick pan with cooking spray and then heat canola oil over medium heat. Combine coconut, corn meal and seasoned salt in a shallow dish. Cut each tilapia filet in half, to make 8 pieces. Dip each filet into the yogurt, then dredge in the coconut coating mixture. Pan-fry the first four filets, about 6 minutes on each side, until crispy and golden, then fry the remaining tilapia. Drain on paper towels. Serve with plenty of Larynx Lava sauce. Garnish with fresh lime wedges.