Drizzle it on salads and soups, use it to roast or sauté those dark leafy greens, or use it as a dipping sauce. Whatever you fancy, once you have it hanging around the house you'll wonder how you ever survived without it.
Ok its been cold outside, like REALLY COLD. The North East isn’t exactly known for mild winters after all.. The solution: Ditch the ice scraper for a pair of your toastiest, fuzziest, socks and a bottle of home-made spicy chili oil.
Drizzle it on salads and soups, use it to roast and sauté those dark leafy greens or use it as a dipping sauce. Whatever you fancy, once you have it hanging around the house you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it.
Also- it’s fast, cheap and super easy to make. So with that said….
TO THE KITCHEN!
INGREDIENTS ASSEMBLE!… oh wait. That’s all of you? You mean you literally just need chilis and oil?! Believe it! There are tons of other versions you can find out there that include various exotic aromatics and seasonings, but in the name of simplicity and diverse usability, all you’ll need is peanut oil and dried chili peppers.
You’ll need about 24 chilis to every one cup of oil you’ll be infusing. If you don’t like peanut oil, you can use almond as well.
Next, you’ll be sending your precious peppers to their whirling demise in your blender or food processor so it’s best not to get too attached. Laughing like an evil genius as they spin is not necessary, but it’s highly encouraged.
Grind your chilis until they look something like this.. As a word of caution, there may be a bit of dust that needs to settle before you can breathe deeply around these guys. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Then, transfer your flakes into a heat safe container.
Next, warm your oil until it reaches between 235 and 240 deg. This will happen QUICKLY so keep an eye on it! Also, always use laser technology whenever possible.
When your oil has reached temperature, pour it over the chili flakes and give the mixture a quick stir to ensure maximum steep-age.
Once your infusion has completely cooled, strain into the most Genie-Like bottle you can find, preferably with a seal top. You know, to keep the magic in…
If you have any extra chilies you can throw them in the bottle as well, over time the flavor of your oil will continue to develop and become more complex as your infusion ages. Also it looks cool, so there’s that..
Say hello to your new best friend! Take your chili oil with you wherever you go! Especially into the back yard near icicles!
FULL RECIPE BELOW!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Cup Peanut Oil
- 24 Medium Dried Chilis
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- Wire Strainer
- Funnel
- A Heat Safe Container
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grind peppers in a food processor or blender and transfer to a heat safe container
- Heat 1 Cup of Peanut oil in a small sauce pan until it reaches 230deg. F
- Carefully pour warm oil over ground chilis: Stir
- Add 1 Tbsp sesame oil (Optional)
- After the chili/oil mix has completely cooled, strain and transfer to a sealable bottle
- ENJOY!
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