Chili Oil

Name: Chili Oil
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 5 g Star anise (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 6 g Bay leaves (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Tsaoko / black cardamom (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 1.5 g Cloves (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Amomum villosum / Sha ren (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Xiang guo / aromatic fruit (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Cassia bark (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 2 g Lemongrass (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Pai cao herb / Lysimachia (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 5 g Sand ginger / galangal (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Spikenard / Nardostachys (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Long pepper (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Round cardamom (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Fennel seeds (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 6 g White cardamom / round cardamom (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); 3 g Murraya leaves / thousand-mile fragrance (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained); Onion, about 50 g; Ginger slices, about 50 g; Scallion, about 50 g; Garlic, about 50 g; Cilantro (halved), about 25 g; 7500 g Rapeseed oil; 2500 g Salad oil; 400 g Peanut oil; 100 g Sesame oil; Chili powder (mix of Chaotian, Erjingtiao, and Zidantou chilies; fried until slightly crispy then rubbed into 0.1-0.2 cm pieces), about 750-1000 g; Sesame seeds (pre-roasted), to taste; Walnut powder (pre-roasted), to taste

A method for making vibrant golden-red chili oil with a rich, mellow aroma by frying chili powder and spices in batches at a controlled temperature.

2h 30m

Easy

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Ingredients

Star anise (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 5 g

Bay leaves (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 6 g

Tsaoko / black cardamom (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

Cloves (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 1.5 g

Amomum villosum / Sha ren (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

Xiang guo / aromatic fruit (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

Cassia bark (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

Lemongrass (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 2 g

Pai cao herb / Lysimachia (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

Sand ginger / galangal (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 5 g

Spikenard / Nardostachys (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

Long pepper (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

Round cardamom (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

Fennel seeds (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

White cardamom / round cardamom (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 6 g

Murraya leaves / thousand-mile fragrance (soaked in warm water for half an hour, drained) 3 g

Onion about 50 g

Ginger slices about 50 g

Scallion about 50 g

Garlic about 50 g

Cilantro (halved) about 25 g

Rapeseed oil 7500 g

Salad oil 2500 g

Peanut oil 400 g

Sesame oil 100 g

Chili powder (mix of Chaotian, Erjingtiao, and Zidantou chilies; fried until slightly crispy then rubbed into 0.1-0.2 cm pieces) about 750-1000 g

Sesame seeds (pre-roasted) to taste

Walnut powder (pre-roasted) to taste

Instructions

Prepare the Spices

Combine the dry spices according to the recipe and soak them in warm water for half an hour. Drain and set aside.

Process the Chili Pieces

Select a blend of Chaotian, Erjingtiao, and Zidantou chilies. Add a tiny bit of oil to coat the wok, then dry-fry on low heat until the chilies become slightly charred and crispy. Once cooled, wear disposable plastic gloves and rub them apart into 0.1-0.2 cm sized pieces.

Refine the Mixed Oils and Aromatize with Vegetables

Heat the rapeseed oil in a stainless steel bucket to about 260°C, then turn off the heat and let it cool to 180°C before adding the salad oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil. Once the oil temperature drops to roughly 40% hot (about 160°C), add the vegetable aromatics (onion, ginger slices, scallion, garlic, cilantro). Fry on low heat until they are dry and pale yellow, then remove the solids.

Fry the Aromatic Spices

Once the oil temperature drops slightly to about 150°C, add the soaked aromatic spices and gently fry until they change color and become dry. Remove the residue.

Constant-Temperature Chili Oil Extraction

Maintain the oil at 135-140°C and turn off the heat. Add 1/3 of the chili pieces, stirring constantly, until the chilies become crispy and fragrant (their skins slightly turning pale white). Reheat to 115-120°C and add another 1/3 of the chili pieces. Once cooled to 90-100°C, add the remaining chili pieces along with the pre-roasted sesame seeds and walnut powder to taste.

Steep and Rest

Transfer the finished chili oil into a ceramic jar or any lidded container. Cover and let it cool naturally while steeping for 12 to 24 hours before using.