from The Edgy Veg Easy Eats
So I’m standing there, vaxxed and waxed with a cart full of BBQ, jaw agape, offended by a vulgar price tag staring back at me: $12 for a jar of crispy chili oil?! Forget avocado toast – this is why millennials can’t buy homes. Save yourself a down payment by cooking up this Chinese-inspired spicy, salty and savory oil at home. The umami will have you addicted and pouring it on everything from sandwiches to dessert.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups (375 mL) vegetable oil
4 small shallots, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp (5 mL) black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick or 2 tsp (10 mL) ground cinnamon
One 2-inch (5 cm) piece gingerroot, peeled and minced
¼ cup (60 mL) red pepper flakes
2 tsp (10 mL) paprika
1 tsp (5 mL) brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) tamari or soy sauce
Directions
In a small saucepan, bring vegetable oil, shallots, garlic, peppercorns and cinnamon stick to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-ow and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, until shallots and garlic are browned.
Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof glass bowl, combine ginger, red pepper flakes, paprika, brown sugar and tamari. Set aside.
Place a fine-mesh sieve over the heatproof glass bowl. Carefully strain the oil from the pan into the bowl, overtop the ginger mixture. Leave shallot mixture in the sieve and set aside to cool and crisp up, about 15 minutes.
Remove cinnamon stick from shallot mixture, then add mixture to the cooling oil. Let cool completely. You’ve got chili oil!
Transfer chili oil and crispy bits to a jar with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Makes 2 cups (500 mL)
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: I love recipes like this…a basic suggestion with lots of room to add your own spin on it. Want a little fruity taste to it? Add mango or raspberry. A little garlic instead of the gingerroot will give it a tex-mex taste. Use different peppers for another twist. Go wild!
Permissions and credits: Courtesy of The Edgy Veg Easy Eats © 2022 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. Available where books are sold. Text copyright © 2022 Candice Hutchings. Front cover photograph copyright © 2022 Mollie Pie. Interior photographs copyright © 2022 Brilynn Ferguson. Cover and text design copyright © 2022 Robert Rose Inc. https://robertrose.ca/catalogue/the-edgy-veg-easy-eats/
