My Homemade Garlic Chilli Oil

I sort of made this up myself really, in a desperate attempt to find some good, tasty, hot oil that I could use in everything. A bottle of this in my cupboard doesn't last long - and it's so simple, it's a bit embarrassing.

Right - here's what you do. Buy some olive oil. None of that extra virgin crap - just cheap as chips Olive Oil. Doesn't have to be expensive, so long as it's Olive Oil. Whack the lid off and empty the whole lot in an oven proof pot with a lid that fits tight. Get some lovely fresh garlic - nice and juicy - big bulbs with that gorgeous purple colouring to the side. I use a lot of garlic - don't be shy with it. Take all the paper off them - and top and that crusty bit on the end. With the flat end of your knife, gently crush the portions. Don't whack the hell out of them, because you want that juice to go in the oil too. Collect all your garlic and pop that in the pot with your oil. Then, get some wonderfully fresh chillis. Not those wee birdseye ones - but the big, fresh fat chillis that you can buy in most supermarkets. I usually use about six fat ones. Top and tail those, then gently roll them in your hands to ease out the juice a bit and slice those through the middle. Don't get hung up on the type of chillis you need - anything with bang will do for this . Make sure you include the seeds and don't go scratching your eye in the middle of it! Put the lid on your pot and place in a low to moderate oven. When you first make this, have a look after about twenty minutes and see how you're doing. I usually need half an hour - but everyone's oven is different so have a squizz after twenty minutes. You don't want the oil bubbling - just heating through gently so that the flavour of the garlic and chillis infuse with the oil. Get a fork and gently bring the garlic and chillis to the side and squish them a bit. You don't want the garlic to turn and brown - because it will be bitter. When you think it's done - just before the garlic turns deep brown, remove immediately from the oven. Leave to cool for a bit and then here's what you do...pluck out the chillis and just shake off the skin - leave the flesh of the chilli. Do the same with the garlic - any bits that have hardend - squish out the flesh and leave that in the oil. What you should have is a translucent oil - with squishy sediments. Get your oil jar back and with a funnel, transfer it back into the container. You could also use a well cleaned out wine bottle or other oil canister if you fancy.

It's best if you let this wait for a few days - but that's not a golden rule at all. I know that you can buy this from the shops - but there's nothing nicer than home made garlic chilli oil. I use this to cook steaks, a wee drizzle when cooking omlettes, hell - I use it in anything. It's especially good when making vinegarettes too. When you get to the bottom of the bottle - you'll still have some of the juicier sections of the garlic and chilli left over - and you can use these when roasting vegetables or whatever...it's still tasty and yummy .

Good luck and I hope you try it - .

 

Sounds good, HG. I've always wanted to do something like this and hand it out as Christmas presents...rather than buying some junk from the store. I think I will give this a try. Find some fancy bottles to bottle it up in and a parafin wax to top off the top to give it a special look. I've also thought of making soup mix in a jar...dry pasta and spices/flavorings all together in one jar. Simply open top, pour contents into "X" amount of water...add whatever meat, if you want and enjoy. Gifts from the heart...are there any better kinds?:xyzthumbs

 

Wow - thanks SY . Actually, a couple of years ago - I did just that and gave everyone in my family a bottle of it, with some home made vanilla sugar (you just scrape out the vanilla beans, put that goo in a blender with castor sugar, whiz it up and when combined, bottle it up. It's great on crumbles, over poached fruit and stuff). I think I used clean wine bottles for the oil and fancied it up a bit - worked out great! I've tried the oil from the shops and it's just not potent enough. You're right though - that went down a lot better than any shop gift (yes, I was broke), but the effort and product was well appreciated. I really hope you try it - let me know how you get on .

 

HG, I like the way you talk -

The oil sounds great! I'll definitely give it a go. My friend makes these oils and some flavored vinegars to use for salads or pasta at home and she also whips up a bunch to give out as gifts. She makes a wicked (and simple) salad dressing. Usually, the gift bottles she hands out come back empty with requests for more.

 

:applause:

 

I'm just glad I wasnt expecting any Christmas presents from Southern Yankee and Honey Girl-cheap bastards

 

.
I do other things as well ya know...these are supplement gifts, to go with other stuff. Sometimes. Besides, it's hard to get things for people that have everything!

 

U can look forward the same thing as last year :xyzthumbs

 

Honey this sounds good. Will you make me some since I don't cook much?

 

what the hell you gonna do with it if you don't cook?