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A white dish with chili crisp

Chili Crisp

ELLE Gourmet's guide to making the spicy, crunchy, umami-rich condiment at home.
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Ingredients

  • 12 cloves (1 head) garlic
  • 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
  • 5 star anise
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick broken
  • 1½ cups vegetable oil
  • 1 cup Sichuan chili flakes or red pepper flakes
  • 1½ in (3.8 cm) long piece ginger finely chopped
  • 4 tsp granulated sugar
  • 3½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp MSG optional

Instructions
 

  • Using a mandoline, thinly slice garlic; add to saucepan. Add peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves and cinnamon-stick pieces. Top with oil and cook over low heat – the temperature should be between 225°F and 250°F. Cook, stirring often, until garlic is light brown, 25 to 30 minutes. In heat-safe bowl, combine chili flakes, ginger and sugar. Strain garlic-oil mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over chili-flake bowl.
  • Let garlic cool on a large plate to crisp up, and discard the star anise, bay leaves and cinnamon-stick pieces. Add garlic and Sichuan peppercorns to chili-oil mixture. Stir in salt and MSG (if using). Let chili crisp cool completely. Divide into jars with fitted lids, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before enjoying to allow the flavours to bloom.