Mango Habanero Barbecue Sauce
After about six weeks of working in a professional kitchen I have come to the realization that almost every day is an episode of “Chopped.” There is produce to use while still in its prime, meat and fish overage from the retail sales case to turn into something spectacular and just the general need to offer variety for frequent customers. This demand for creativity and spontaneity is actually the part of my job that I love most. I realize that I’ve been playing this game at home for years. Never having been one to shop with a list, I tend to open my refrigerator to see what needs to be used next and then decide how to prepare it. In a professional kitchen this “game” is elevated by convection ovens, fryers, flat tops and grills that are always at optimum temperature and ready to go.
This Mango Habanero Barbecue Sauce was born out of a mistaken delivery of a case of habanero peppers. The produce guy decided to let us keep the peppers rather than deal with the hassle of a return. I knew that the intense level of heat would need to be balanced with something sweet so I searched for a recipe that would do just that. This barbecue sauce achieves an ideal balance.
While you may think of barbecue sauce as more of a summer cookout item, I encourage you to give this sauce a try now because it keeps well in the fridge and is perfect on oven-baked chicken breasts, which cook quickly and make for a great week night meal. If you happen to live near Potomac Grocer, you can find these in the case a couple of days a week and save yourself the time of making the sauce at home. Either way, I encourage you to cook Chopped-style at home and let the creativity flow. Enjoy!
Mango Habanero Barbecue Sauce