DATE CHILI CRISP
Makes about 2 cups.
- 2 California Dates, pitted and minced
- 4 tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chile flakes)
- 2 tbsp Red chili flakes
- 1 tbsp Urfa chili ((see Cook’s Note))
- 2 tbsp Fried sliced shallots ((homemade or store-bought))
- 2 tbsp Fried minced garlic
- 1 tbsp Minced fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp Toasted walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
- 1 Whole star anise
- 1 Whole black cardamom, crushed
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Szechuan peppercorns
- 1 Chicken bouillon cube, crumbled finely
- 1 1/2 cup Neutral oil (Such as avocado or vegetable oil)
- 4 Cloves fresh garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1.25 oz Dried red chilies ((I used Chinese dried red chilies I found in my local Asian grocery store, which were labelled as medium in heat. You could use whatever dried chilies you have in your area and choose how hot you’d like them.))
- 2 tbsp Crispy fried shallots
- 1 1/2 tbsp Crispy fried garlic
- 1 Whole star anise
- 2 Green cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 tbsp Finely chopped ginger
- 2 Dates, minced
- 1 tbsp Sea salt
- 1 Chicken stock cube, crumbled
- 4 Garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 1/2 cup Sesame oil (not toasted!)
- Minced walnuts
- Cumin seeds
- Szechuan peppercorns
Pop dates, chilis, shallots, garlic, ginger, walnuts, sesame, star anise, cardamom, Szechuan peppercorn and bouillon cube in a large bowl.
Pour oil into a small saucepan. Add sliced fresh garlic. Turn heat to medium-low, and cook until garlic is just starting to brown. Remove from heat immediately and set aside for 5 minutes because the garlic will continue to brown! We want golden brown garlic chips. You can return the saucepan to the heat if your garlic is still a bit blonde but watch it closely because it can burn in a heartbeat!
Once garlic is perfectly golden brown, pour the oil and the garlic over all the date-chili mixture. It should sizzle and release its beautiful aroma! Stir well. Now, it’s up to you: you can season with salt or leave it alone based on how you think you’ll use it. If you want to salt it, you’ll need about a teaspoon of kosher salt.
Pour into a jar and store in the fridge for up to a month.