Steamed Egg Custard with Crispy Chilli Oil

Crispy chilli oil is a festival of heat, crunch and umami, and a condiment I implore you discover immediately if it isn’t already in your arsenal. Lao Gan Ma is the most popular brand in China (literally ‘old godmother’ and you’ll spot the jar by her face) and has dried chilli mixed with fermented soya beans and crisp fried onion. Alternatively, there is Chiu Chow chilli oil, which has a soft-textured, salty mix of preserved chillies and huge quantities of fried garlic. The eggs here are re