This chili oil tastes extremely authentic and can be used in a variety of dishes such as spicy wontons, dumpling dipping sauce, and hand-pulled noodles. We have even added it to instant ramen to spice things up.
INGREDIENTS:
Whole Spices:
1 whole star
anise
1 black cardamom
pod
2 whole
cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fennel
seeds
1 tsp Sichuan
peppercorns
½ tsp black peppercorns
Pre-Ground Spices:
½ cup sweet
paprika (or any other mildly spicy chili powder)
2 Tbsp cayenne
chili powder
2 Tbsp red
chili flakes
1 tsp ginger
powder
½ tsp Thirteen-Spices
⅛ tsp ground
cinnamon
Oil Blend:
1 cup peanut
oil or canola oil
2 Tbsp white
sesame (raw)
1 Tbsp black
rice vinegar
1 tsp salt (optional)
Place a dry
frying pan over medium heat and sprinkle the whole spices evenly across the
pan. Toast for 5 minutes, or until the spices start to pop and release their
aroma. Move the spices around during this process to ensure even heating. Alternatively,
toast the spices in a toaster oven set to 350°F for 5 minutes.
Once the
whole spices are cool to touch, process them into a powder using a coffee and
spice grinder. Alternatively, you can use mortar and pestle, but it will take
more time and you might need to run the spices through a sifter at the end.
Combine the processed
spices and the pre-ground spices. I used sweet paprika as the chili base because
it’s aromatic and not too spicy. You can use any chili powder or even all
cayenne, as long as you can tolerate the heat.
In a small
pot, preheat 1 cup of peanut oil to 425°F (or canola oil to 400°F), remove it from the stove, and let
it cool to 350°F. If you don’t have an infrared thermometer, heat the oil on
high just until you see a little bit of smoke, then remove it from the stove
and let it cool for 5 minutes. Use a few sesames to test the temperature after
5 minutes. If the sesames pop, wait for 2 more minutes and test again.
Once the
oil temperature is down to 350°F, pour the sesame into the pot and cook for 30 seconds, or until
they’re just lightly golden. Don’t overcook the sesames and don't to return the pot to the stove, the residual
heat from the oil is more than enough for the entire process.
Pour in the
entire spices blend and stir for 30 seconds.
While the oil is still hot, pour in the vinegar, so that the acidity of the vinegar will be cooked off, but the aroma will remain in the chili oil. The chili oil will bubble vigorously, don’t be alarmed, this is just water content in the vinegar evaporating.
Stir in the salt if desired.
Allow the
chili oil to cool to room temperature and transfer it into a mason jar. This can
be stored in the fridge for up to two months.
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