The tastiest chili oil is homemade
There’s always a bottle of Chinese chili oil on my table. Fried eggs, noodles, dumplings—almost all Asian dishes are better with a few drops of the stuff. The very best kind? You make it yourself.
It took me years to make my own chili oil because I always thought it was a lot of work. It really isn’t at all—you’re done in just five minutes. All you have to do is heat oil in a pan and pour it over chili flakes. For extra flavor, add spices, and you can make it as elaborate as you like. In the ingredient list, I’ve included the absolute musts and a few optional additions that make it even more delicious if you happen to have them at home.
The best thing about making your own chili oil? First of all, it’s obviously much tastier than the store-bought kind. The second reason is that you’re actually making two fantastic products. You strain the oil and are left with crispy chili flakes, which you can season with a little fish sauce or salt, loosen with a tiny bit of oil, and turn into a delicious spicy condiment that you’ll want to spoon over everything. A kind of Chinese sambal. You can also choose to leave all the chili flakes in the oil, but then the oil will get hotter with each passing day. I like keeping the two separate, so I can always eat exactly what I’m in the mood for at that moment.
Method
Put the chili flakes, star anise, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and optional ingredients (if using) in a large, heatproof bowl. As soon as you pour in the hot oil, the mixture will bubble vigorously, so make sure there is enough room.
Heat the oil in a saucepan to 180°C. No thermometer? No stress. Add a piece of ginger as soon as you put the oil in the pan. Once it turns golden brown and starts to shrivel, the oil is at temperature. Immediately turn off the heat and carefully pour the oil over the remaining ingredients. Let everything cool completely; this may take a while. Season with a pinch of salt if desired.
Now you can choose to put the oil in a jar as is, or strain it to get separate chili oil and crispy chili flakes. Either way, from now on you can make everything extra spicy. Both will keep for a few months in the refrigerator.
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