Chili Shallot Crisp

We’re taking a drive today with smoking heat with southwestern flavors. These early days of We’re taking a red hot drive today with smoking southwest flavors. It’s no coincidence that hot weather makes for seasonal spicy fixings and these early days of August can be brutally hot, ripening chiles into rockets of flavor. Mix and match peppers in this Chili Shallot Crisp to suit your heat tolerance, or skip this one and stir up a Happy Belly Mixer instead if spice isn’t your ride of choice.

Chiles each have distinctive flavors, and not all are spicy. I’m lucky to live near a farmer in southwest Michigan that grows an enviable range of chilies to suit any palette. For this, I use hot & sweet Arapaho chiles (aka Cayenne) paired with Melrose pepper (a treasured Chicago variety) brought to the Midwest in 1903 by Italian immigrants from Nocera Inferiore, Italy. Toss in some locally-grown purple shallots and garlic, and cook to crispy perfection! You’ll want to give this delicious chili crisp a spin any time of the day.




Chili Shallot Crisp

Make the Chili Shallot Crisp – Bring the grape seed oil to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, We are going to cook the chili crisp low and slow today! Add the shallot and chili and simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the chopped garlic. Continue to cook for 20-25 minutes. The shallot will turn golden brown. You want to be careful to not burn the shallot or garlic.

Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Pour into a clean lidded jar. Place in the refrigerator to stop the cooking.

makes 2 cups

CHILI SHALLOT CRISP

  • 1½ cups grapeseed oil
  • ¾ cup chopped shallots
  • 2 larged cayenne peppers, chopped, seeds removed if less heat desired
  • 3 Melrose or red Fresno peppers
  • ¼ cup chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp Maldon salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp dried Ancho or Guajillo chilis, finely chopped