Christmas gifts are extra special when they’re made with love. Created using the perfect blend of spices to make the ideal Vietnamese Winter Chilli Oil that can be shared, gifted and used on EVERYTHING you can imagine. Extremely addictive, so be warned!
Cooking time: 1 hour
Portion: Three 350ml jars
EQUIPMENT
- Small saucepan
- Medium frying pan
- Food processor
- Small bowls
- Chopping board
- Knife
INGREDIENTS
- 3 Cinnamon sticks (small 2-inch pieces)
- 9 Star anise
- 600ml Vegetable oil
- 2 tsp Vegetable oil (for frying)
For the dry spices and sauces:
- 1 tsp Ground coriander seeds
- 3 tsp Ground paprika
- 3 tsp Dry chilli flakes
- 1 tsp Ground ginge
- 1 tsp Salt
- 6 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Fish sauce
- 100 ml Sesame oil
Fresh Ingredients:
- 300g Shallots
- 300g Garlic
- 200g Red Chilies
- 300g Fresh lemongrass
- 300g Ginger (finely julienned)
Method
- Chop the fresh ingredients into chunks, except for the ginger, which should be finely julienned. Set aside separately.
- Then, in a food processor, blitz the lemongrass first until minced. This step requires the most time, so do it separately to ensure it is evenly done. Take it out and set aside.
- Now add the shallots to the food processor and blitz until well minced. Add the lemongrass to the shallots and pulse for 5-10 seconds to mix them well. Take out and set aside.
- Blitz the chilli and garlic together, then set aside separately.
- In a saucepan, add the 600ml of vegetable oil, star anise and cinnamon sticks, warm over medium heat until you see bubbles, then reduce to simmer on the lowest setting.
- While the oil is simmering, start cooking the fresh ingredients; in a medium pan, add 2 tsp of vegetable oil and fry the shallots and lemongrass on medium-to-high heat for 3 minutes. Keep the ingredients moving to prevent burning but allow them to caramelise. Then, add the chilli and garlic and fry for an additional 5 minutes until golden.
- Turn off the heat and add all the dry spices and sauces. Mix it well and set it aside.
- Remove the star anise and cinnamon sticks from the simmering oil, then pour the oil into the mixture. Be careful and stand as far away as you can. You will smell the magic in the smoke!
- Let the mixture cool down completely, then you can pour it into the 3 jars. Dress it up with some ribbon and a bow, and it's ready to be a delightful Christmas gift (if you can bear to part with it). Enjoy!
Professional chef, restaurateur and author, Thuy Pham has created this delicious recipe exclusively for Rangemaster using her Leckford Deluxe 110cm Dual Fuel range cooker.