Chinese chili oil

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Published on 60 min basic spring summer fall winter

Ingredients

  • 1 cup neutral oil
  • 0.5 cup chili flakes
  • 1 bay leaf optional
  • 1.5 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns optional
  • 2.5 star anises optional
  • 1 tsp cloves optional
  • 0.5 cinnamon stick optional
  • 12 seeds cardamom optional
  • 0.5–1 tsp salt optional

Instructions

  1. Place oil and selected aromatics into a pot with at least 4 cm of clearance between the oil and the rim of the pot.
  2. Set it over medium heat to start, then progressively lower it to medium low or low heat as the oil comes to temperature. The oil should be at about 110–120 °C and causing small bubbles to slowly rise from the aromatics. If you notice the spices sizzling more vigorously than that or turning dark too quickly, reduce the heat to cool it down. If you are not achieving small bubbles, slowly increase the heat.
  3. Infuse the aromatics this way for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour for best results.
  4. While the oil is infusing, prepare your chili flakes by placing them in a heatproof bowl or jar.
  5. Test the oil readiness by adding a few chili flakes to the pot. If they burn or brown too fast, the oil is probably still too hot. It should smell like popcorn.
  6. When your oil is at the correct temperature, pour it through a fine meshed strainer over the chili flakes bowl. Stir the chili flakes and oil together to distribute the heat of the oil evenly.

Notes

  • Tip 1: If just using hard spices, the bubbling of the oil should be very tiny but constant. They will cling to the spices and rise up. The oil should not be hot enough to show any additional visible movement.
  • Tip 2: You'll know you've gotten it right when you smell a "popcorn" kind of smell — it should not smell burnt at all.

Adapted from this original recipe