French Recipe: P'tit Rougail Sauce

“Rougail” is a blend of the French words red & garlic. P'tit Rougail originates from Réunion Island, a French island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. This is a traditional condiment in a country known for diverse cultural influences from centuries of Indian Ocean trade. This contribution from Réunion can be found all over the place in France.

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P'tit Rougail Sauce Recipe

Serves: A condiment for 1-2 people. Increase quantities if you like.

Time: 5 minutes

Notes:

·      Rougail sauces vary in ingredients and preparation – all include a combination of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chili peppers.

·      This can be a condiment as well, adding flavor to milder dishes.

Tools

- Mortar and pestle – you can also use a food processor or just smash things in a bowl, whatever makes a smooth mush.

- Peeler or zester

Ingredients:

- 1 tomato, big for mild, small for spicier.

- 1 tablespoon of oil

- 1 fresh bird's eye chili – or whichever you prefer

- 1 pinch of coarse salt

- A few slices of kaffir lime peel (use lime peel as an alternative)

- 1 shallot

Preparation

1.        Put a pinch of coarse salt in the mortar. Add the chili and few thin slices of makrut lime peel and chopped shallot. Normal limes do well also, but are less fragrant.

2.        Crush all ingredients until blended

3.        dice tomato then add to the mortar, mushing until a smooth paste

4.        Add a tablespoon of oil to the mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon. Let the sauce sit for an hour or so to meld flavors – it will get slightly milder.

Serving Suggestions:

It’s a condiment. Use with anything you like, really:

·      Serve chilled as a side, coat meats or season vegetables. In Nantes, I see this with seared seafood a lot, especially large fish steaks like tuna.

·      Serve with grilled or roasted meats or fish

·      Mix into cooked rice or grains

·      Use as a topping for tacos or savory pancakes – I had this on a ham, egg and cheese galette and it was amazing.