Family Recipe 03 - Spiced Chili Oil (Hong You)

Ingredients: Chili powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, white sesame seeds, sugar, salt, rice wine, salad oil Instructions: 1. Heat salad oil until smoking, stirring occasionally to ensure even temperature. Turn off heat and set aside once smoking. 2. In a bowl (or pot), prepare a generous amount of chili powder. Mix in sugar and salt evenly, then add rice wine and stir. Add in small amounts multiple times until the chili powder clumps. 3. On top of the clumped chili powder, add Sichuan peppercorn powder and sesame seeds in layers. 4. Pour the cooled oil into the pot in portions using a ladle. Stir each time you pour oil to prevent burning. Ensure the oil covers the chili powder. 5. Once the spiced chili oil cools down, transfer it to a clean container for later use as a table condiment. Using regional terms, 'chili powder' and 'Sichuan peppercorn powder' refer to the ground form. For this spiced chili oil, avoid using very fine or very coarse chili powder. Fine powder burns easily, and coarse powder has an unpleasant texture. Choose a medium grind available in the market. It's best to use Da Hong Pao Sichuan peppercorns for their strong aroma, color, and numbing flavor. Locally produced Sichuan peppercorns in Taiwan are only suitable for braised dishes as they lack sufficient aroma, color, and numbing properties. Lightly toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over low heat until they can be easily crushed by hand. Then, crush them with a rolling pin or mortar and pestle. Do not use a blender or food processor, as Sichuan peppercorns contain oils that are difficult to clean.