Chilli oil

recipe.md

Chilli oil (Sichuan-ish)

Ingredients

• 1L sunflower oil
• ~140g Korean chilli flakes (best substitute for erjiangtao colour)
• ~50g other dried chillis, a mix of grinds from very coarse to very fine
• Maybe half a cup (?) sesame seeds
• ~5 star anise
• ~8 green cardamom
• 2 cao guo, halved
• 2 large pieces cassia bark
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• ~8 tbsp good quality Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 spring onions whites
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, slightly crushed
• 2 cloves garlic, slightly crushed

Method

1. Heat about 40% of the oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan, with all the ingredients except the chillis, sesame seeds, and 80% of the sichuan pepper.
2. Wait until the wet ingredients are about to burn, then remove them. Wait for the oil to reach about 180°C.
3. Add the chilli, sesame seeds, and remaining Sichuan peppers and stir vigorously. They will foam up a lot - make sure the pan is big enough. Before the chilli burns (5-10 seconds) pour in the rest of the oil to stop the the process.
4. Decant: these quantities of oil and chilli will occupy about 1.2L volume.