Chinese Flavoured Oil
If you as well have started cooking Chinese recipes, then you definitely must try this Chinese flavoured oil. It's easy to prepare, it's lovely and it's got great taste and aroma. It goes along very well with Spring Pockets, Noodles, Ants Climbing a Tree and, of course, Chinese filled dumplings. Take care with this oil, it is, indeed, flavourful, but also quite hot. I started to make it less spicy, so that the children too can eat the food and also because it burns too much if you follow the classic recipe.
On a plate, prepare the following: onion, bay leaf, Sichuan pepper, anise, clove and the thinly sliced ginger.
This is the peanut oil I'm using, they sell it in Metro, Selgros and I suppose in other large supermarkets.
If you don't have it, just replace it with rapeseed oil.
In a glass bowl (heat resistant would be great), combine 2 tsp sesame, 2 tsp paprika and 1 tsp dried chili flakes.
Use a measuring cup to measure 200ml oil and pour into a small pot.
Add all the ingredients prepared at step 1 to the pot.
Place the pot over high heat and when the ingredients start to fry, cook for 2-3 more minutes - pay attention not to burn them.
Place a metal sieve over the heat resistant bowl (the one from step 3, with sesame, paprika and chili).
Pour the hot oil with spices through the sieve. Do it slowly and carefully so that you don't get spattered with oil.
Carefully lift the sieve, drain all the oil and, when colled, discard all the fried spices.
Notice how the oil in the bowl gets more reddish and it's beautifully decorated with flavourful sesame seeds.
After it cools down, pour into a jar or a small bottle and store in the fridge.
Use a little of this oil for any dish you like and especially for making Chinese food :)
Enjoy!
