We love to have our pantry packed with flavor bombs that help us to add an explosion of flavors to our dishes. In this week's We Cook Book recipe, we decided to share with you the fantastic XFF chili oil from Xi'an Famous Foods Cookbook.
While most sauces like sriracha aim to get the bright, acidic bite of fresh peppers, this sauce goes for a deep, fiery, earthy heat of roasted chili peppers. Although this chili oil might look red and intimidating, it actually caps off quite early in terms of spice level, and instead focuses on the flavor and fragrances, of spices like star anise, cloves, and bay leaves.
We like to add this oil on eggs, congee, and any and all noodles. A drop or two will add a small but powerful kick; a splash will make your mouth water; a spoonful will make you sweat.
445 g (2 cups) red chili powder
960 ml (4 cups) canola or soybean oil
(1 tablespoon) Sichuan peppercorns
4 star anise pods
4 cloves
5 bay leaves
1 green onion, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1/4 medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
5 cm (2.inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
Splash of black vinegar