Fire Horse Taggiasca Chili Oil
I asked Donald to develop a homemade chili oil to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse and love the oil's vibrant red hue. The heat from the "fire" of the chili aptly embodies the energy of this era.
Chili Oil: A Fusion of Heat and Liquid Gold
It seems to me that a good chili oil is made better by the complexity of the aromatics, not just the heat, and using a good quality oil as a base can help make this simple condiment great via significantly higher nutritional density. Refined seed oils and extra virgin olive oil both contain 120 calories per tablespoon, but only EVOO offers complex antioxidant content in every drop. We're recommending this year's Lucero Taggiasca HP-EVOO due to it's exceptionally high polyphenol value of over 750 ml/kg!
Safety First: The Dry Method
To make this oil more shelf stable we've used wholly dried ingredients. Moisture is the enemy of food safety in oil infusions, and by using dried peppers and spices you've eliminated an environment where bacteria can thrive.
Food safety notice: there are risks with infusing oil from Clostridium botulinum (botulism) when using fresh ingredients. Please follow directions carefully.
Because we used only dried spices and a high quality olive oil, this infusion is exceptionally stable, however, to preserve the flavor notes and prevent oxidation we recommend storing your Fire Horse Hot Chili Oil the refrigerator and enjoy within 6 weeks.
Fire Horse Taggiasca Chili Oil
Elizabeth Tagami
This Year of the Fire Horse hot chili oil recipe features a traditional Sichuan temperature-controlled spice extraction with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry!
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 1 oz dried chili flakes
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
EVOO Infusion with Aromatics
- ½ cup EVOO
- 1 oz fresh ginger root, coarsely chopped (no need to peel)
- 1 clove garlic, papery skin removed and cut into large pieces
Directions
Mix the dry spice ingredients and 3 tablespoons of EVOO together in a medium-sized metal bowl. The small amount of EVOO is used here to protect the chili from burning when hot oil is added later.
Heat the ½ cup of EVOO to 300º F in a small saucepan
Add the ginger and garlic and fry for about 1 minute. Remove the ginger and garlic from the pan, gently press extra oil from them, and then discard. We are extracting the volatile oils and ensuring moisture from the fresh ingredients are not present.
Check that the temperature of the aromatized oil has returned to 300º and pour it slowly (about 3 small pours) into the metal bowl with the dry spice mix. Using small pours protects the chili from burning. The hot oil will foam as it hits the dry spice mix and lightly toast the chili, blooming the flavors.
Allow to cool, then taste to adjust seasonings. Add more salt or sugar to taste.
Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Use within 6 weeks.
