RECIPE: Hot Pepper Oil

When I made the Nashville Hot Chicken Milanese for the first time, there was leftover hot oil, and we slathered it on rice, pasta, vegetables, dal, meatloaf, and - of course - chicken!  I make it now with less sugar, and I vary the pepper variety based on what I'll be doing with it - sometimes I use a very hot pepper, sometimes a mild one.  Every variation is delicious!  If you use a mild chili like Black Urfa, it won't be as red...  This oil is liquid gold - I drizzle it on everything!  The color was hard to capture - it's a gorgeous red, after all the peppers have settled to the bottom of the jar.

Hot Pepper Oil

Makes 1.25 cups

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup avocado oil

2 t. light brown sugar (I use coconut sugar) 

2 t. himalayan pink salt 

1 t. dried dill

1 t. garlic powder

1 T. mild very red pepper like Pure Indian Food's  Kashmiri  

1-2 T hot red pepper like cobanero, cayenne, or Burlap and Barrel's hot kashmiri 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

In a small sauce pan, add brown sugar, salt, mild red pepper, dill, garlic powder, and 1 T. hot red pepper to the 1 cup avocado oil and stir to combine.  Add up to 1 T. additional hot pepper to taste.  

Heat on medium, stirring occasionally until oil is hot but not boiling. 

Use immediately, or store it in the fridge and drizzle it on hot or cold food.

I store this in a tall thin glass jar (please don't use plastic!) so that I can skim the seasoned oil off the top, and my husband can dig down and scoop up the ground peppers.  The oil is not as hot when used without the peppers. 

 

Here's how it looks drizzled on white rice, broccoli and masoor dal: