The only chili oil recipe you need

I have been making chili oil for over 5 years and every time I make it, I make some adjustments or look for new ways to improve it. The old recipes I made was smoky and packed with heat. Although the smokiness goes extremely well with some food, it also limits its pairings with other flavors. So adding one extra step is what prevented the oil from overheating the chili flakes and ultimately give you this super vibrant red chili oil that's full of flavor and heat without the smokiness. You can spoon this over anything you can think of and it will only make the food better :3

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup vegetable oil (or any neutral oil with high smoking point)

• 1/3-1/2 of Sichuan chili flakes (depending on how spicy you want it)

• 1 leek, only the bottom white part

• 3 tsp Sichuan peppercorns

• 1 tsp green Sichuan peppercorns

• 2 sticks Chinese cinnamon

• 3-4 star anise

• 3-4 bay leaves

• 1-2 tbsp cardamom

• 1-2 tbsp fennel seeds

• 3 tbsp extra fine chili powder (change the amount if you prefer more or less spicy)

• 1 tbsp of sand ginger powder (can omit)

• Splash of rice vinegar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1/2 tsp MSG

Steps:

1. In a large bowl, add in your chili flakes and 2 tsp of the cold oil (to help cool down the hot oil when pouring) to coat the chili flakes and set it aside.

2. In a wok, heat up the oil over medium heat (the surface of the oil starts to have small ripples) before adding leeks. Fry until golden.

3. Lower heat before adding Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves, cardamom, and fennel seeds and frying until fragrant (if spices are overheated, they will become bitter).

4. Put a strainer over the large bowl, and pour the hot oil into the bowl of chili flakes.

5. Add the chili powder and sand ginger powder into your chili oil and combine

6. Add a splash of rice vinegar into your chili oil (this should sizzle right away, if it doesn't then your oil has cool down too much)

7. Add salt, sugar, and MSG (essential :3) to taste