Recipes

Sichuan Red Chile Oil (Hong You)

  • Serves

    makes ABOUT 2 CUPS

ALICE KIM

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on February 24, 2013

This ruby red chile- and spice-infused oil is a key ingredient in all kinds of Sichuan dishes. See Matt Gross's article See Matt Gross's article Flavors of Sichuan for information on hard-to-find ingredients. This recipe first appeared in our March 2013 issue along with Matt Gross's story Capital of Heat.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups canola oil
  • 4 star anise
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 3 cao guo (black cardamom pods)
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 stick cinnamon, broken in half
  • 1 (3") piece ginger, smashed
  • 1 cup (about 32) chiles de arbol, stemmed and chopped
  • 3 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
  • 12 tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil, star anise, garlic, cardamom, cloves, bay, cinnamon, and ginger in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a 1-qt. glass jar with chiles, peppercorns, soy, and salt; let cool to room temperature. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard garlic and ginger; seal jar and let sit at least 24 hours. To use, strain oil, discarding solids. Store refrigerated up to 3 months.

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