Homemade Chili Crisp

A crunchy Sichuan-style chili crisp with fried garlic and shallots. Two-chili blend (medium heat). Yields 2.5 cups.

Course Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine Chinese, Sichuan

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Servings servings (2 tablespoons)

Calories 251kcal

2 cups neutral high-heat oil avocado, peanut, canola, vegetable, or grapeseed; not olive or toasted sesame
10 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 medium shallot thinly sliced (about ⅓ cup)
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced into coins
2 star anise pods
1 2-inch piece cassia bark or 1 small cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves optional

2 tablespoons fermented black beans douchi, rinsed and roughly chopped (optional, for deep umami)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts roughly chopped (optional)

In a large heatproof bowl (ceramic or metal, not thin glass), stir together the gochugaru, árbol flakes, Sichuan peppercorn, sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and MSG. Use a bowl with plenty of headroom, since the oil foams up when it hits the flakes. Set a fine-mesh strainer and a paper-towel-lined plate nearby.
Combine the oil and sliced garlic in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a gentle sizzle and cook, stirring often, until the garlic is pale gold, about 6 to 10 minutes. Scoop it out onto the paper towels; it crisps as it cools.
Add the shallot to the same oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Scoop it out to join the garlic.
Add the ginger, star anise, cassia, and bay to the oil. Raise the heat to medium and let it all sizzle gently until very fragrant and the ginger looks dry and lightly browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Fish out and discard the whole aromatics.
Bring the infused oil up to hot but not smoking, around 350°F. Carefully pour about a third of it over the chili mixture, stirring as it crackles and foams. Wait 30 seconds, then pour in the rest and stir well.
Stir in the fermented black beans, soy sauce, and sesame oil, then fold in the reserved fried garlic and shallot along with the peanuts. Taste carefully and adjust salt or sugar.
Let it cool completely, then transfer to a clean jar. It's ready right away, but better after a night in the fridge.

Don't walk away from the garlic. It goes from gold to burnt quickly and keeps cooking off the heat, and burnt garlic turns the whole batch bitter. Pull it at pale gold.
Mind the oil temperature at the bloom. Too cool and the flakes taste raw; too hot and they scorch. Hot but not smoking is the target, and pouring in two stages gives you the toasty edge without burning anything.
Give it a day if you can. The flavor settles and deepens overnight.
Keep the solids submerged under the oil in the jar. If they poke above the surface, stir in a little more warm neutral oil to cover.
Heat and swaps: see Adaptation Ideas above for hotter, milder, and pantry-simple versions.