I never gave this much thought until I tasted Marise’s homemade Chili-Garlic oil. It used to be something I’d just put on chinese food [dumpling and soups]. This one is tastier and more flavorful.
Mars placed it on almost everything – eggs, fried fish, veggies and salad. I got hooked. I never realized that when chili-garlic oil is cooked properly, the taste enhances the food. It’s not just about being spicy, it’s complementing the food you take with it.
The difference between her creation and mine is that hers was baked. Mine was cooked on the stove. She was able to find the secret to the recipe – cooked on low fire for an hour. Yes! ONE HOUR.
My problem with my stove is that it’s your regular 2-burner. The lowest heat setting was not low enough. I kept stirring because I didn’t want the garlic to burn.
When I told her what I did, she suggested that I put a metal plate between the fire and the pot so that it would evenly distribute the heat (that way, the heat is not concentrated in areas where the flame touches the pot).
I also added a tablespoon of sugar to make the garlic a tad sweeter.
Now my son puts this on EVERYTHING – even as topping on plain rice.
