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Chili Oil - China

This spicy Chinese condiment is incredibly versatile and can be used in countless cooked Asian-style dishes, served as a condiment or snuck into any recipe to give it a delicious boost of heat and awaken your taste buds. The basic version is made from vegetable oil infused with chili peppers, but you can enhance the flavor with spices like garlic, paprika, Sichuan pepper, star anise, etc. For anyone who enjoys fiery Sichuan food, it's one of the principal ingredients in many dishes and is downright addictive.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole star anise
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup (40g) Chinese red chili flakes (or regular chili flakes)
• 1 tsp ground five spice powder
• 1 tsp ground Sichuan pepper
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 cup (240g) vegetable oil
• 1 inch ginger, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Instructions:

1. In a heatproof bowl, add the star anise, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, toasted sesame seeds, Chinese red chili flakes, ground five spice powder, ground Sichuan pepper, fine sea salt and rice vinegar. Stir to combine.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat with the ginger and garlic. Do not let the oil get too hot (reduce heat to medium-low if necessary). Using a slotted spoon, remove the ginger and garlic from the oil when they begin to brown. Carefully pour the hot oil into the heatproof bowl with the spices and seasonings.
3. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge.