Sauce Piquante

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped yellow onions
3 tablespoons chopped green bell peppers
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence, or Creole Seasoning
Pinch crushed red pepper
2 cups chicken stock
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a non-reactive saucepan over high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaves, Essence, red pepper and stock. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until thickened, about 20
minutes.

Remove from the heat. Transfer to a food processor or blender, and puree on high speed. With the motor running, add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil through the feed tube and process until smooth. Add the parsley and serve warm.

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups