Playing With Fire. And Garlic. And Stuff...Chili Crunch

They changed my chili crisp.

There are certain products you discover that quietly become part of your kitchen routine. You don’t think much about them until they disappear.

For me, that was Fly By Jing’s Chengdu Crunch.

A spoonful on eggs. A dollop on burgers. Mixed into mayo. Stirred into noodles. Scattered over roasted vegetables. It delivered crunch, heat, garlic and enough savory goodness to make almost anything taste more interesting.

Then something changed.

The company rebranded the product, and while they may call it an improvement, I’m not entirely convinced.

To make matters worse, buying it often means purchasing a bundle of products instead of simply ordering the one thing I actually want.

Call me old-fashioned, but when I find something I like, I’d rather not join a condiment subscription service.

So I did what cooks have done forever when confronted with disappointment.

I headed to the kitchen.

After a little experimentation, I came up with a version that captures everything I loved about the original. Plenty of crunch, lots of garlic, a respectable amount of heat, and enough texture to keep things interesting. In fact, I may like my version even better. Because to be honest, I add extra peanuts.

The secret is building layers. Garlic and shallots slowly fried in grapeseed oil create the crunch. Red pepper flakes provide the heat. Toasted sesame oil added at the end brings aroma without losing its flavor. Peanuts add texture and a little richness.

The result is a jar of spicy, crunchy goodness that now occupies permanent real estate in my refrigerator.

Unlike the original, I know exactly what’s in it.

And unlike the original, I can make another batch whenever I want. Now you can too.

Homemade Chengdu-Style Crunch

INGREDIENTS

1 cup grapeseed oil

8 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 shallots, finely diced

1/2 cup crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon black vinegar

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup roasted peanuts, or more.

2 tablespoons crispy fried onions

METHOD

Toast some peanuts in a hot cast iron pan until they brown a bit.

Heat the grapeseed oil over medium-low heat.

Add the garlic and shallots and cook slowly until golden brown and crisp.

Remove the garlic and shallots with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onions to the oil and remove.

Place the red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl.

Carefully pour the hot oil over the spice mixture and stir immediately.

Allow the mixture to cool for five minutes.

Stir in the soy sauce, black vinegar and toasted sesame oil.

Fold in the reserved garlic and shallots, peanuts and crispy onions.

Cool completely and transfer to a glass jar.

Use on eggs, burgers, pizza, noodles, rice, vegetables or anything else that seems to be asking for a little excitement.

Makes about 1½ cups, so share with a friend.