Name: Lanzhou Chile Oil
Yield: Makes a scant 1 cup
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) neutral oil; ⅛ medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped; 1 green onion, coarsely chopped; ½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced; ½ small cinnamon stick; 1 black cardamom pod; 1 star anise pod; ½ tsp. fennel seeds; ½ tsp. red Sichuan peppercorns; ¼ cup (25 g) Chinese chile flakes; 1 Tbsp. raw white sesame seeds; 1 Tbsp. raw black sesame seeds; 1 dash dark soy sauce

A bowl of chili oil with black and white sesame seeds.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou

This easy-to-savor chile oil is traditionally made with a specific chile, èr jīngtiáo (二荊條, in Mandarin). We’ve also used organic Sicilian crushed red pepper, which is spicier and lends a smoky sweetness. Sometimes we add potato crisps for a Cali-Guizhou chile crisp, which definitely is not in the rule book.

What you’ll need

Red Sichuan Peppercorns
$10 At Amazon
Sichuan Chili Flakes
$10 At Amazon
Dark Soy Sauce
$9 At Amazon

Recipe notes

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