Piri‑Piri Sauce

Preheat the oven to 400°F (390°F).

Place the whole red bell peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until the skins are blistered and charred.

Remove the peppers from the oven, transfer to a bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them steam for 5 minutes to loosen the skins.

Peel off the charred skins, discard the seeds, and roughly chop the roasted peppers.

In a blender or food processor, combine the roasted peppers, chopped red onion, minced garlic, chopped red chilies, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, ground black pepper, brown sugar, olive oil, and water.

Blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth; scrape down the sides as needed.

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning: add more salt, a splash more vinegar, or a little extra brown sugar to balance acidity and heat; if the sauce is too thick, blend in additional water, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Optional: stir in the optional coriander (cilantro) for a fresh herbal note.

Transfer the finished sauce to a clean jar, allow it to cool to room temperature, then seal and refrigerate.

The sauce will keep for about two weeks when stored in the refrigerator.