Chilli Crisp is a modern Korean recipe for the condiment of the moment, a chilli and spice infused oil with crisp pieces of spring onion, shallots, garlic and dried chilli flakes. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Korean version of: Chilli Crisp.
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Chilli crisp is the new(ish) spicy condiment sensation, originating in the 1990s from China, but finding variants throughout Asia. In essence it's a chilli infused oil with crispy bits. It adds flavour to most dishes and is fantastic spooned over eggs. Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chilli Crisp was the original version, though other brands are entering the market. The recipe given here is a Korean version that a Malay friend gave me so I could prepare it at home. The secret is in the hot infusing of the oil before adding in the crispy bits. The condiment combines a relatively mild chilli heat with umami from soy sauce, msg and kelp to give well-rounded flavour that's not just based on chilli and vinegar like most hot sauces. Note that the recipe calls for Chinese black vinegar. This is not always readily available and you can substitute a blend of 3 tbsp water, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar.
Ingredients:
360ml groundnut oil (or vegetable oil like rapeseed oil)
2 large spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp gochujang
2 serrano chillies, coarsely chopped (or your favourite chillies)
1 shallot rough chopped
10 cloves garlic rough chopped
1 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
4 tbsp red chilli flakes
1 tablespoon smoked paprika or use Gochugaru seasoning blend, or cayenne pepper for more heat
1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
1 tbsp Korean gochugaru chilli flakes
1 tbsp soy sauce (adds umami)
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp msg (optional — substitute sea salt)
2 tbsp chicken stock powder (or a good vegetable stock)
2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS for extra flavour
1 6cm cinnamon stick
4 star anise pods
Method:
Add half the oil to a small pan along with the spring onions, serrano chillies, shallot, garlic, gochujang and the black and Sichuan peppers. Cook this mixture over low-medium heat for 20 minutes.
Take the oil mix off the heat and set aside to cool. In the meantime, combine the chilli flakes, soy sauce, MSG, sugar and chicken stock powder in a heat-proof bowl (you need the bowl to be heat proof as you'll be adding hot oil). Stir to combine then blend in the soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar. Add the cinnamon stick and star anise.
Take the remaining 180ml oil and heat until sizzling. Now stir in the cold flavour-infused oil into the spice blend. Carefully pour the hot oil into the fragrant cold blend and it sizzles to deliver a fragrant aroma. Set aside to cool then remove the cinnamon stick and the whole star anise.
Cover and refrigerate overnight to let the flavours develop even more. Stir before serving.
The following day, spoon the contents of the bowl into a jar. Seal with an air-tight lid and store in a cool, dark, place.
This is excellent served over fried and scrambled eggs and omelettes. It's also great added to stir fried to lift the flavour.
