The combination of chillies and sichuan peppercorns is just divine. And so typical of sichuan cuisine. I used to live in Beijing for 2.5 years. In this time I absoblutely fell in love with chinese cuisine, but sichuan cuisine in particular. And the sichuan peppercorn is largely responsible for that. I just love the tingly, numbing, citronny, sharp taste.
(Wikipedia about Sichuan Pepper)
So I was delighted to discover this home-made chili oil.
To me, it’s simply Sichuan in a Bottle.
RECIPE
6 T sichuan peppercorns (see picture above)
8 T chili flakes (ready bought or chop some dried chilies yourself)
1 t salt
1 T sesame oil
360 ml peanut oil
Put everything except the oil in a heat proof container.
Heat oil between 107 to 122.5 degrees Celsius and pour over the other ingredients. Be carefull because it will sizzle. (Or actually, when you have a thermometer, like I do, you will notice it won’t sizzle at all. If you don’t, then yes, be careful)
Leave to cool down. After the flavors have blended for a day you can sieve the oil, if you wish. Store in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
Funny thing is that with my version it always “sets”.
When I take it out of the fridge it will become nice
and translucent again, but cold it looks like this.
I’m quite sure it doesn’t make any difference to
the taste, but if anybody knows why this happens, please tell me!
Tags: chili oil, sichuan chili oil
April 11, 2008 at 9:37 |
what oil do you use? It looks like the oil is not hot enough, because the chopped chili flakes should reach the just-no-burning stage. When I make it, the oil turns bright red, and it doesn’t set, not even in the fridge.
April 11, 2008 at 11:20 |
I use peanut/groundnut oil. The first time I made this the oil was sizzling hot. The result you see on the photo. But then I searched the internet and with all similar recipes I found that the temperature should be between 107 to 122.5 degrees. Which just isn’t sizzling hot.
At first I was concerned. And disappointed, because the kitchen wasn’t bursting with sichuan aromas like the first time. But the result was similar. Maybe it’s even better? The aromas going in the oil, not in the air? I don’t know.
About the “setting”. I think it’s because of the chiliflakes I use. I have this big pot of dried chillies and when I need chiliflakes I just chop some in my blender.
I don’t mind though! That it’s setting. The sesame oil I have in my fridge does the same thing. I believe it doesn’t effect the flavour or quality.
April 15, 2008 at 19:36 |
No mystery here, the oil just becomes solid at low temp in the fridge, same with sesame oil indeed or olive oil for that matter.
Regarding heating, I am preparing a post on this subject because I agree, less flavour in the air is more in the oil!
April 15, 2008 at 20:43 |
The mystery however is why Kattebelletje’s chili oil doesn’t set.
The answer probably is that sunflower oil she uses has a different “setting” point?
For your post about heating oil, maybe you could also look into the instruction (which I didn’t follow) to first heat the oil until smoking hot and then let it cool down until 107-122 degrees before pouring it over the chillies? What could be the reason behind that? Any idea?
July 27, 2008 at 1:10 |
Infusing sichuan peppercorns and chili in oil sounds great!
August 5, 2008 at 11:22 |
You should really try, it’s an instant “sichuanizer”.
November 2, 2008 at 18:35 |
The “solids” in the oil, which are microscopic sized proteins, form what is called a “chill haze” when they are cold. Literally the molecules turn a small distance and “refract” light. The same happens with homemade beer. The barley solids shift when cold.
September 5, 2009 at 3:56 |
Het is een heerlijke olie, lekker met de kip en ook met de spitskool. Is er in NL een restaurant oid waar je goed met de Sichuan keuken kunt kennismaken?
September 6, 2009 at 16:03 |
Blijkbaar niet, nu ik zo eens verder lees in dit blog. Jammer.
September 6, 2009 at 16:22 |
Er schijnt nu in Amsterdam weer een nieuw sichuan-restaurant te zijn, maar ik heb er een hard hoofd in dat je daar de echte sichuangerechten kunt krijgen. Op de een of andere manier zijn ze bang dat Nederlanders daar nog niet aan toe zijn of zo. Hoewel, het is misschien nog wel eerder dat de chinezen er zelf niet aan toe zijn! Die kantonezen hier houden toch vooral van zoet en zoetzuur, niet van pittig.
In Londen zit er wel een geweldig sichuan restaurant. Als je daar eens bent echt de moeite van het bezoeken waard, aan de engelse keuken mis je toch niks. ;)
September 7, 2009 at 12:51 |
O! In Chinatown? Ik ben zelf niet zo bekend met de Chinese keuken m.u.v. de buurtchinees dus toen ik voor het eerst over Gerrard Street liep aldaar vond ik al die eenden die daar hingen al geweldig. En heb daar dan ook vooral dergelijke heerlijkheden gegeten ( en de tweede keer ook trouwens) die daar even gewoon zijn al babi pangang hier geloof ik :).
Maar als we weer gaan zal ik er ter zijner tijd eens naar opzoek gaan.
September 7, 2009 at 18:20 |
‘k Heb het adres even opgezocht. Heb dus her en der op flickr de heerlijkste foto’s gezien, uit dit restaurant. Van gerechten zoals ik ze hier nog nooit gezien heb, maar dus wel in China.
Sichuan Restaurant
116 Churchfield Road
Acton
London W3 6BY