Spicy Papaya-Mustard Sauce {With Grilled Salmon}

This week in the kitchen has been all about sauces. And I just had an epiphany: I am a condiment fanatic. Are you a condiment fanatic too?  Here's a test:  do you enjoy grilled seafood with nothing on it? How about a nice plate of plain, unadorned steamed vegetables? Now take a look in your pantry and refrigerator. When I do this I am slightly alarmed {and amused}. All I see are countless bottles of hot sauces, oils and vinegars - and soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, sauce, sauce, sauce. Yep, I am a condiment fanatic and I hope I am not alone here. Make that an unapologetic condiment fanatic. After all, aren't sauces, spreads, and dressings the icing on any cake, the vehicle that elevates a dish from "OK" to "great"?

As for sauces, I have been talking this week about Bitchin' Sauce and I do highly recommend it for Mexican Bibimbap,  Pesto-Farro Salad or just about anything you can dream up in your kitchen. But there is another sauce I discovered this week, a homemade one, that I am eager to share with you. Spicy Papaya-Mustard Sauce - hiding in an old favorite cookbook - completely unnoticed until now. It is flavorful and complex - spicy, sweet and tangy all at once. 

The sauce is reminiscent of some of the West Indian habanero bottled sauces I have relished in the past. Those that have so many different profiles going on that it is impossible to pinpoint the ingredients. And take a look at the ingredients below. Hats off to the chef, Roger Hayot, who developed such an amazing and versatile sauce.

The first night I made the sauce, I spread it on grilled salmon fillets. The following night I served it as a dipping sauce alongside a platter of grilled prawns. This is the perfect sauce to serve at a summer barbecue with a variety of grilled protein {seafood, tofu, chicken}. Utterly unique and a nice way to bring a taste of the tropics home.

Spicy Papaya-Mustard Sauce {With Grilled Salmon}

4 salmon fillets, 5 oz each, grilled to your preferred level of doneness {or grilled prawns}

- and for the sauce:

2 T peanut oil

1 t + 1/2 t curry powder

1/4 t ground allspice

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

3/4 t peeled. minced fresh ginger

1 t + 1/2 t dry mustard

1 c seeded, diced plum tomatoes {approximately 2 tomatoes}

1/2 habanero pepper, seeded and diced {or more to taste}

1 medium size ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and diced

1/4 c freshly squeezed orange juice

6 T red wine vinegar

1 T honey

1 t + 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c Dijon mustard

3/4 t kosher salt

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add the curry, allspice, pepper, ginger. dry mustard, and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until tomatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Serve warm over salmon.

Makes 2 cups.

* Leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 days. 

Source: Dinner At The Authentic Cafe, Roger Hayot