Delicious recipes, sometimes, take more than they give. We’ve all been there. You spend hours in the kitchen cooking, only to reap the benefits during a few tasty seconds.
Then, there are some very clever, easy recipes that give its creators (and eaters) substantially more than they take. Celebrity cook, promises that his chilli oil recipe is a satisfaction multiplier.
The television personality tells SBS he perfected the art of making chilli oil during his time on MasterChef. These days, he uses his curated chilli oil skills to make the condiment in a large batch and then he gifts the hot stuff to loved ones – just because he can.
It also makes me really happy to make my chilli oil and give it as a gift. I just love chilli oil to pieces.
“I usually make a litre’s worth of chilli oil at a time because it’s about 10 times cheaper to make than buy, especially when you consider cost of living increases,” Ong says. “Honestly, if you’re a home cook you’re never going to need a litre of chilli oil. So I usually to tell people to make my recipe for chilli oil in a big batch and then give the excess away to friends and family as gifts.”
In a sense, Ong’s chilli oil is an act of food love and generosity, preserved in a bottle or jar. “I give it away to friends who come over to visit. When you receive a food gift that someone has made for you, it’s really heart-warming. It also makes me really happy to make my chilli oil and give it as a gift. I just love chilli oil to pieces.”
As Ong tells SBS, the other gifting bonus is that the oil lasts for years. If you don’t believe it, just ask his mum. He says she’s had a jar made by Ong in her home kitchen for about four years.
“Once you’ve made this chilli oil, you’ll have a really nice, proud moment that you’ve made something delicious that will keep for a very long time and keep giving.”
Ong’s chilli oil can be used so many different ways, including his simple favourite. “There’s nothing like putting a bit of chilli oil in a pan, cracking and frying an egg and plating the chilli-flavoured egg over rice with a little bit of soy sauce. It’s delicious.
“In my Vietnamese culture, we also use chilli oil a lot in dipping sauces. So I like to add it to my dipping sauce for rice paper rolls, with hoisin sauce and peanut butter.”
With love, here's some chilli oil
So how do you make the food love letter that is Ong’s famous chilli oil?
First of all, the cook instructs, you need to select a neutral-flavoured oil like grapeseed or vegetable oil.
Next, add your aromatics to the oil – cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fennel, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon sticks and cloves. “These ingredients will give the oil its signature fragrance and taste that will keep you coming back for more.
"Then, just leave all of the ingredients to steep on a low-medium low heat for a while. Finally, when it’s done, pour the oil over some dried chilli flakes and sesame seeds.”
When the chilli-infused oil has cooled down, place it in a bottle or jar ready to use or gift. “It doesn't get much easier than that. It’s so easy."
Mix up your chilli oil game
The beauty of Ong’s chilli oil is that its recipe can be varied a few different ways.
Firstly, if you’re not a fan of heat, use less chilli. Ong guarantees that the oil will still be “a umami bomb”. “The chilli will increase the flavour of the other aromatics so although the oil won’t be too hot, it will be flavoursome.”
Chilli oil is one of those condiments that can be used in so many different ways. It’s so versatile.
Ong also likes to add a special chilli crunch to his recipe.
“I slice garlic and red shallots very thinly, before cooking them in oil on a very low heat. Once they become golden and almost crispy, I drain them and incorporate the crispy bits into my chilli oil right at the end, so they keep their crunch.
“Chilli oil is one of those condiments that can be used in so many different ways. It’s so versatile. That’s why I just love chilli oil so much.”
Khanh's chilli oil recipe
- 5 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-4 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1 tsp clove
- 3 garlic cloves (peeled)
- 2 shallots, peeled
- 350 - 500 ml neutral oil (grapeseed or peanut is great)
- 1-1 1/2 cup Sichuan chilli flakes
- Pinch salt, to taste
Method
- In a medium pot over low heat, combine all ingredients, except the chilli flakes and salt. You want it all to infuse slowly and not burn so about 100-120C. Leave this to just bubble gently for 20 mins.
- Have a large heatproof bowl ready with chilli flakes in it (make sure it's large as the oil can spill over).
- Using a strainer, carefully pour the oil mixture over the chilli flakes. Leave to infuse and cook. Add a few tsp of salt at this point while it's cooling.
- Store it in a sealed jar and get spooning.
You can see Khanh Ong drizzling this chilli oil and more at this year's Good Food & Wine Show in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. You can find out about or enter
