Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom pods (about 7-8 pods)
• 2 1/2 tsp red Sichuan peppercorns, whole
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp cloves (about 8)
• 2 tsp water
• 1 green onion stem, cut into 6-inch lengths
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 cup vegetable, canola, or peanut oil
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 3 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp Chinese black vinegar
• 1 tsp superfine sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Chinese chicken stock powder
• 1/2 cup crispy fried shallots, store-bought
• 2 tbsp crispy fried garlic, store-bought

Method

1. Put the bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel, and cloves in a small pan with the water and stir over low heat for 1 minute to dampen the spices.
2. Add the oil, green onion, and ginger and heat gently for 15-20 minutes, keeping it at a bare simmer, until the aromatics are golden and the oil is fragrant. Do not let it smoke.
3. Put the sesame seeds, chilli flakes, and paprika in a heatproof bowl.
4. Strain the hot oil over the chilli mixture — it should sizzle — and stir well. Discard the whole spices, onion, and ginger.
5. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, and stock powder while warm.
6. Leave to cool, then stir in the crispy shallots and garlic. Transfer to a clean jar; the flavour improves after a day.

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 30 min

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data