CHRISTMAS OILS PART 2: CHILI

So you have had a go at my garlic and rosemary oil (hopefully cloudless!). Hope your enjoying it on your roasties! Next up is my second one, a fabulous spicy chili oil. Chili oil is great for using as a base for a curry, stir fry or just for simply dipping in bread in an anti-pasti kind of way. It so simple to make and can be done on a lazy afternoon. All you need is a large pan, lot of oil and an array of chili's and you can create a second oil which you can give out on it's own or as a duo with your garlic and rosemary oil.

So lets talk chili. You can use any type of chili and as much as you like. Obviously the type and amount will depend on how hot your oil is and if you follow my guide below then you'll definitely get something spicy (just how I like it!), Keep hold of some nice pretty long chili's to place in the bottles at the end to give them a really gorgeous appearance.

Again, make sure you sterilise and dry your bottles well and follow the recipe below to ensure no bacteria gets into your oil and spoils the oil:

Chili Oil

1.5L Olive Oil

12 Whole Chilies

1 Large Handfull Of Dried Chili

1. Pour the oil into a large pan. Prick each of the the whole chili's with a fork to allow the spice to really infuse into the oil. Place six of them into the pan with the oil along with the dried chilies
2. Heat the oil on a medium heat until the oil and chilies begin to
   
   fizz and bubble. Once you reach this point heat for 5 minutes before taking the pan off the heat. Leave the oil to cool slightly.
3. Strain the oil and discard the whole chilies but divide the dried chili between your sterilised bottles along with the remaining whole chilies. Pour in the oil into each bottle and seal.

Done! How simple is that. Of course please be care full with the hot oil as no one wants to get burnt. As with the garlic and rosemary oil it's up to you how you wish to store the oil, refrigerate and use within three weeks or store in a cool dark place and use within three months. 

The oil will really back a punch the longer it is left, that chili punch really hitting the back of your tongue if you use it as a bread dipping oil. It's a great why to warm your soul on these chilly Christmas nights! Your chili loving friends and family will be in heaven!