I was reading Roots and Grubs this afternoon and Matthew was talking about making homemade chili oil. He used Korean chili powder, sesame seeds and fresh ginger. This immediately sparked the idea of Mexican chili oil because I just happen to have some wonderful dried chilis in the pantry. I took a blend of 5 different chilis and toasted them. Then I put them in the blender with some roasted sunflower seeds (I didn't have any pumpkin seeds handy) and pureed them with canola oil. I set the mixture on the stove and brought it to just below a simmer. Once the oil had cooled and infused I strained it into a glass jar. The roasted sunflower seeds give it a nutty quality that complements the smoky, fruity spice from the chilis. The oil is darker than traditional Chinese chili oil, with a totally different flavor. It's darker and more earthy and the flavors linger to haunt your palate. I can already see some wonderful uses for it, drizzling it over grilled meats, finishing pasta sauces, basting seared scallops, spicing up ramen noodles, brushing it over roasted fruits, the possibilities are endless.
Years Past
