Sichuan Chile Oil Recipe

 

Sichuan Chile Oil Recipe

3+ cups peanut oil
4-5 cups solids from strained fermented hot sauce (or you can also use crushed hot pepper flakes)
1 Tbsp Sesame seeds (toast in a skillet over medium heat, don't burn!)
2 Tbsp of Sichuan or regular Peppercorns (toast in a skillet over medium heat)
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts (optional)
2 Tbsp Mushroom powder such as Shiitake (optional)
1 cup shallots, chopped
1 cup garlic, chopped
4 Tbsp ginger, diced
3 bay leaves
3 amomum tsao-ko pods, chopped (Black cardamom fruit) (optional if available)
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste

Process or crush all your dried pepper solids, along with the peppercorns. Then put the pepper solids, peppercorns, peanuts, and sesame seeds, into a large tempered glass bowl. Heat half of the oil until it just starts to smoke, then pour it over the ingredients. In the pan, add the rest of the oil and fry the shallots and garlic, then transfer then let them cool on a paper towel to get crisp. Add the ginger, bay leaves, pepper, cardamom and cumin into the oil and heat until they smell delicious, then pour through a strainer into the bowl. Mix well and store in a jar in your refrigerator and use on everything!