Portuguese Vinegar Sauce W/ Hot Pepper Paste for Fish (Molhanga)

Entered for safe-keeping, this is a very tangy sauce for fish, packing heat, provided by Ana Patuleia Ortins in "Portuguese Homestyle Cooking". It uses Portuguese Hot Pepper Paste (Massa De Malagueta) #460621 as an ingredient. The use of whole cumin seed is traditional when making molhanga, but if unavailable, use cumin powder. Note that those who are allergic to ragweed may be severely allergic to safflower as well. Edited 7/06/12 to add smoked paprika as an option.

• Ready In: 5 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon cumin seeds or 1⁄4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 6  garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse salt (to taste)
• 3⁄4 teaspoon  fresh edible flowers (safflower flowers to be precise) or 3⁄4 teaspoon paprika or 3⁄4 teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 1 -2  dash ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon  hot pepper paste, such as Recipe # 460621 # 460621 or 1  teaspoon hot chili sauce
• 3  tablespoons  finely chopped parsley
• 1  tablespoon olive oil, leftover from frying fish if not too dark or 1  tablespoon  fresh olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 3⁄4 wine vinegar

Directions

1. Using a mortar and pestle and blending well after each addition, combine the cumin, garlic, salt, safflower or paprika, nutmeg (if using), pepper, and sugar. Follow with the hot pepper paste (or hot chili sauce) and parsley.
2. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the water and vinegar and whisk in the olive oil.
3. To use, pour over the cooked fish or serve on the side.