Easy Chilli Crisp

Method

1. 1

   Step 1: Roughly chop the cinnamon, bay leaf and star anise into pieces about 1 cm/0.4 inch long.

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Put the chopped spices, including the small broken pieces, in a bowl with the remaining dried spices. Add the water and mix until everything is coated. Leave for 30 minutes so the spices absorb the water. This helps prevent burning during oil infusion and softens the spices for better flavour extraction.

3. 3

   Step 3: Put the soaked spices in a 20 cm/8-inch saucepan with the green onion, ginger and cold oil. Start over medium-low heat, then adjust the heat until small fizzy bubbles rise from the base.

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Maintain a gentle, fizzy simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times and making sure nothing burns. Near the end, the bubbling will slow as the water evaporates. The ginger and green onion should be dark golden, not burnt.

   

   Tip: If the ginger and green onion become deep golden before 25 minutes and look close to burning, take the saucepan off the heat and set it aside for the remaining time. Residual heat will continue extracting flavour.

5. 5

   Step 5: Just before the oil finishes simmering, put the oil sizzle ingredients in a metal bowl or other heatproof container that can withstand hot oil. Don’t prepare the bowl too far ahead, or the sesame seeds may absorb too much of the liquid.

6. 6

   Step 6: Strain the hot infused oil through a fine-mesh metal sieve into the bowl, then mix. Discard the used spices caught in the sieve.

7. 7

   Step 7: Leave the oil to cool for at least 15 minutes.

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Mix the seasoning and crispy bits into the cooled oil.

9. 9

   Step 9: Pour the chilli crisp into a jar or airtight container. Once it has cooled completely, seal it with a lid and refrigerate for at least 24 hours so the flavours can meld. The flavour peaks from day 3 onwards. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 weeks, and mix thoroughly before each use to redistribute the solids through the oil.

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Use on stir-fries, noodles, fried rice, soups, eggs, burgers, dumplings, poached chicken or fish, steak, Lebanese pizza, roasted vegetables, gyros and doner kebab wraps. Mix with mayonnaise or sour cream for a dip or sauce for fries, wedges or vegetable sticks, or use it with tacos and burritos.