condimentcantonese15 minutes
Homemade Cantonese Chili Oil
A flavorful and aromatic chili oil recipe inspired by Cantonese restaurant-style chili oil, perfect for adding spice to any dish.
From YouTube · Jul 22, 2022
A flavorful and aromatic chili oil recipe inspired by Cantonese restaurant-style chili oil, perfect for adding spice to any dish.
5 min
Prep time
7 min
Cook time
12 min
Total time
About 20 servings of homemade chili oil
Yield
Ingredients
14 ingredients- 1.5 oz Sichuan dried chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika, optional
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, for the chilli mixture
- 1/2 oz fresh ginger
- 1 oz red onion
- 1 oz shallot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 whole star anise
- 4 oz neutral oil, for infusing
- 1 dash sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Method
10 steps- Combine the Sichuan chilli flakes, salt, sugar and white pepper in a medium heatproof bowl. Mix in 1 tablespoon neutral oil to protect the dry ingredients from scorching. Add the optional paprika for a brighter red colour.
- Slice the ginger and red onion. Smash the shallot, then smash, peel and roughly mince the garlic.
- Break the star anise into smaller pieces and briefly rinse them with cold water to reduce the risk of burning. Keep all the aromatics separate and close at hand.
- Heat a wok over high heat for about 30 seconds. Add 4 oz neutral oil and heat it to 300°F or 150°C. Reduce the heat to medium as necessary to keep it near that temperature.
- Add the ginger and fry for 15 seconds. Add the garlic and fry for 5 seconds, followed by the shallot for 30 seconds and the red onion for 15 seconds.
- Add the star anise and fry everything for another 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the aromatics are well browned but not burnt.
- Turn off the heat and remove all the solid aromatics with a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently so the oil drains back into the wok.
- Return the infused oil to 300°F or 150°C, then turn off the heat. Slowly pour one ladle of oil over the chilli mixture and stir. Repeat with two more ladles, adding each one gradually to avoid scorching.
- Stir in the sesame seeds. Heat the remaining oil slightly, pour it gradually into the chilli mixture and stir well.
- Finish with the sesame oil. Allow the chilli oil to cool completely, transfer it to a clean airtight container and refrigerate.
Recipe notes
Storage
Store in an airtight container, avoid smoky flavor.
Additional tips
- Hot oil can cause severe burns. Use a large heatproof bowl, keep it on a stable surface and add the oil gradually to prevent overflowing or splashing.
Save recipes like this from any YouTube video
Create beautiful, printable recipe cards with ChefScribe.
Get 6 free recipes every month.
