Garlic and Chili Oil for Everything!

(Including Green Beans and Leeks with Chili and Garlic Oil)

Green beans w leek and garlic and chili oil. Apologies for the blurry pics, I had a hard time taking it before the kids got to them!

Garlic and Chili Oil

Make a pot of this oil now, then cook everything in it for the next week or until you run out, which won’t be long because it is good with everything.

The key is to cook it all very slowly, you are essentially making a confit from the garlic and chili which is to say that they are cooked so gently in oil that all the water evaporates from them but they do not crisp at all. This makes a sweet and gentle oil that is perfect for cooking with, unlike a chili crisp which is used more as a condiment.

Measurements are not too important here, just use plenty of oil so that everything is well covered. I have kids who have strange ideas about what is spicy- they will happily eat heavily spiced Schezuan food but sometimes find black pepper too spicy. Because of this I tend to remove the seeds from the chilies and use less of them than I would if I was making it for myself alone. Make it once and then adjust to your own preferences next time.

10 cloves of garlic, or 1 bulb of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

2 red chillies, seeds removed and finely chopped

1 1/4 cups olive oil

• Place everything into a small sauce pan and place over very low heat- you are looking for very small amounts of bubbles to appear of the surface- this is the water evaporating from the vegetables as they cook, but no vigorous frying action. if you can’t get your heat low enough you may have to babysit it a little and take it off the heat every now and then so it doesn’t get too hot and cook too quickly. When it is ready, the garlic will be completely soft, but not mushy, with no color- it should take 15-20 minutes, but could be longer. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Green Beans with Leeks and Garlic and Chili Oil

These are incredibly moreish and sit comfortably on the table with just about anything. I made them twice this week because everyone loved them so much, once as a side to chicken congee (also delicious, recipe coming soon) and another time with some roasted potatoes and a radicchio and avocado salad. Green beans are available at the market right now, but if you can’t get them, I have also made this with frozen beans in a pinch with equal success!