This week, in my ingredient challenge game, we’re doing things with peppers and chilis and I remembered that I had a whole lot of Thai Bird Chilis dried from last summer, so I decided to make some chili oil. It’s pretty hot, so definitely designed as a finishing oil. It’s got a bit of sesame seeds and sesame oil in it as well. Spicy, but not blow your head off spicy!
Ingredients
1 cup Asian chili powder (Sichuan, Thai or Korean)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, unpeeled, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds and smashed
2 garlic cloves, smashed
4 bay leaves
6 star anise pods
10 green cardamom pods, crushed
Directions
Place chili powder, sesame seeds, half of the crushed peppercorns, and salt in heatproof bowl. Heat oils, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, star anise, cardamom pods, and remaining peppercorns in small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spices have darkened and mixture is very fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes.
Strain oil mixture through fine-mesh strainer into bowl with chili powder mixture (mixture may bubble slightly); discard solids in strainer. Stir well to combine.
Once cool, transfer mixture to airtight container and let stand for at least 12 hours before using. Oil can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month or refrigerated for up to 5-6 months.
