Toasted Chile Sauce

1. 1

   Put the chiles in a small dry skillet and turn the heat to medium.

2. 2

   Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Turn off the heat and remove.

4. 4

   Stem the chiles and, if you like, remove their seeds (this will reduce the sauces intensity, but it will still be plenty hot).

5. 5

   Add the oil to the same skillet and turn the heat to medium.

6. 6

   Add the garlic along with the chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cloves have softened and turned golden, about 5 minutes.

7. 7

   Transfer the oil, chiles, and garlic to a food processor and process until nearly pureed, stopping to scrape the sides of the machine as necessary.

8. 8

   Add the nam pla and lime juice and serve.

9. 9

   (You can prepare the sauce in advance, but its best used within a few hours, and after a couple of days it will not be nearly as nice as when fresh.

10. 10

    Do not store longer than that.)

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.