If you’d like to create a smoky flavour for your hot sauce and you have good ventilation at home, turn on your extraction fan and heat a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once very hot, tip in the shallots and the chillies. Shuffle the pan occasionally, cooking until lightly charred all over, 6-8 mins. Set aside on a plate to cool and reserve the pan (don’t wash it).

Tip the remaining ingredients into a blender and add the cooled charred chillies and shallots. Blend until smooth, then pour the mixture back into the frying pan.

Bring to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 15-20 mins, until the flavours have infused. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper, adding more of each if you like. Pour in 100-150ml boiling water from the kettle to create your preferred consistency. Leave until completely cool before pouring into sterilised bottles (see tip, below). Will keep in a cool, dark place for three months. Once opened, store in the fridge for up to a month.