Description
Create authentic homemade chili crisp with crispy golden shallots, toasted garlic shards, fragrant Sichuan peppercorns, and deeply savory chili oil.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 cups (360 ml) peanut oil or refined avocado oil
- 4 medium shallots (approx. 150g), thinly sliced into 1/16-inch rounds on a mandoline
- 1 whole head garlic (10 to 12 cloves), peeled and sliced into uniform paper-thin chips
- 1/4 cup Sichuan chili flakes (Facing Heaven / Chao Tian Jiao)
- 1/4 cup Korean Gochugaru coarse flakes
- 1 tablespoon whole Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and coarsely ground
- 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick (cassia bark)
- 1 black cardamom pod (tsao-ko), lightly crushed
- 2 whole dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fermented black beans (douchi), finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Slice and Dry Alliums: Slice peeled shallots and garlic into uniform paper-thin disks (1/16-inch) with a mandoline. Pat gently with paper towels for 10 minutes to remove excess surface moisture.
- Slow-Fry Shallots and Garlic: Pour cold oil into a small heavy saucepan. Add shallots and heat over medium-low. Cook 12 to 15 minutes until pale golden. Add sliced garlic and cook 3 to 5 minutes more until both turn light blonde. Immediately pour through a fine-mesh metal sieve over a heatproof bowl. Spread crispy alliums on paper towels to cool and harden into fragile chips.
- Infuse Oil with Whole Aromatics: Pour strained oil back into the saucepan. Add star anise, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, and bay leaves. Steep over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes (approx. 135°C / 275°F) until intensely fragrant. Discard whole spices with tongs.
- Bloom Spices and Assemble: In a heatproof bowl, combine chili flakes, ground Sichuan peppercorns, sesame seeds, salt, sugar, and fermented black beans. Reheat the aromatic oil to 160°C (320°F). Slowly pour hot oil in three stages over the chili mixture, stirring gently as it sizzles and turns crimson. Let cool completely to room temperature (approx. 45 minutes). Fold in the cooled crispy shallots and garlic chips. Transfer to a sealed glass jar!
Notes
Always allow both the infused oil and fried alliums to cool to room temperature before combining. Combining warm oil with fried alliums causes moisture condensation that softens the crunch. Keeps in a cool, dark pantry for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Cooking tips
- Cuisine: Sichuan / Chinese Pantry Condiments