Sichuan chilli oil

This has to be the best, spiciest and is definitely up there with one of the hottest chilli oils I’ve ever tried. I think to enjoy the whole experience of dumplings, you must have a fantastic chilli oil to go with them. Look no further, this chilli oil ticks all the boxes and has even the most non-chilli fanatics coming back for more. My husband & I can’t get enough of this oil. We’ll have it with our stir fries, meat or Asian style vegetables. My husband would have this on his corn flakes for breakfast if he could 😉

Chilli oil is an important condiment in any Asian restaurant you’ll visit. It’s on every table you sit at. Depending on how you like your chilli experience, it’s there so you can enjoy a little or a lot. All Asian restaurants are more than accommodating with bringing fresh chopped chillies to your table if you ask, to add some extra depth with their chilli oil. Have you ever tried chilli oil and fresh chopped chillies on your dumplings? Some may call it crazy but it’s just got to be done, at least once in your life. If you haven’t noticed, we are big chilli fans.

I just love the deep orange/red colour of this oil. I found inspiration for this oil from my friends at China Sichuan Food. I decided to go easy on the chilli powder as I felt this oil would be quite intense with the Sichuan peppercorns. Next time though, I will be adding the cayenne powder for that extra hit and real deep red colour.

Please enjoy this with your pork & prawn dumplings. I’d love to hear from you if you enjoy this oil with any other dish you prepare. I’m always looking for new inspiration.

TIP

Wear gloves while touching chillies. Even though they’re dried, they are still very potent.

♥  ♥  ♥

The longer the chilli powder and oil infuse, the deeper the colour orange/red colour. I left my oil overnight.

PREP: 15 minutes + 15 minutes cooling + overnight for infusing
COOK: 4 minutes for dry roasting + 2 minutes for ginger, star anise & cinnamon oil
MAKES: 2 cups (500mls)

INGREDIENTS:
115 grams dried chillies
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
2 cups peanut oil
3 – 5 whole star anise
½ stick (2.5cm) cassia bark
2.5cm piece fresh ginger, sliced
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

METHOD:
In a wok, on low heat, add the chillies and dry roast for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Add in the sesame seeds and Sichuan peppercorns for a further minute until fragrant. Remove immediately.

Place the dry roasted ingredients into a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds, until it becomes a powder.

In the wok, add the oil, star anise, cassia bark and ginger for 2 minutes. Be careful at this point so as the ingredients don’t start frying. Remove the star anise, cassia bark and ginger with a slotted spoon and take off the heat. Mix together the chilli powder mixture and oil. Allow to cool slightly before pouring into a glass jug to infuse.

Cover the jug with a tea towel or muslin cloth and allow to infuse for 2-3 hours or preferably overnight.

To strain the oil and chillies, place a larger jug (I find this easier to dispense into jars later) or bowl on the bench. Place a very fine sieve over the large jug and tip the chilli infused oil in. Allow to drain for a couple of hours. Place somewhere out of your way.

Pour orange chilli oil into smaller jars or bottles and enjoy with your dumplings.

NOTE

This chilli oil is (perfectly) hot! Please be careful when pouring into bottles or smaller jars as you may not be ready for the chilli hit if you get some on your fingers & accidentally lick them.

Fabulous Foodie Friday (#44) party – Come join us for lots of great food inspiration and recipes. Be sure to say hi to Lauren (Create, Bake, Make), Lucy (Bake, Play, Smile) and Dannielle (Zamambakes) and tell them I sent you 😉