Chilli Oil

I'm finally back in Leamington and I can't wait to get back to some proper cooking. Just a quick post today, but more frequent updates should follow.

Chilli Oil

Isn’t it pretty?

Flavoured oil and vinegars are moronically easy to make, but I hardly ever get round to it. Firstly it starts with the lack of decent size glass bottles, but clean out an empty spirit bottle and you’re good to go. This bottle once contained a bright orange M&S Clementine Christmas Punch that was a gift at a party held by an old housemate. When she moved out, the bottle stayed behind, a couple of years older and still unopened. Eventually curiousity got the better of me and I had to try it. I wish I could tell you that I can’t describe the taste, but unfortunately I can. When I was little and feeling poorly my mother would whip out orange Calpol as the old stand by. On one occasion my sickly body rebelled against this attempt to cure it, and I vomited. That taste of overly sweet and medicinal orange combined with the rancid bitterness of rising bile is PRECISELY what this tasted of. The booze went down the sink, but I kept the bottle.

Secondly, making flavoured oils does not produce the instant gratification that I crave when I cook. It will take at least a month, preferably more, to get all the flavours absorbed into the oil. Last time I made chilli oil it only started getting really powerful after I’d already used a lot of it up. This time I intend to top it up as I go along.

You will need:

About a dozen small Bird’s Eye Chillis

1 litre cheap olive oil (it’s going to be flavoured anyway, so don’t splash out).

Any other herbs or spices. I usually don’t bother with these any more as smaller particles tend to float to the top and come out when you use the oil. Sticks of rosemary have worked well for me in the past, but it goes very soft and is really difficult to get out of the bottle once it’s finished.

Instructions:
Put everything in the bottle. Put the bottle in the back of the cupboard to forget about it. Once you remember it a few weeks later it should be quite pokey.

This is really good for adding just a touch of heat and flavour to dishes without too much hassle. Definitely one of my kitchen staples.