Oil

Oil transforms chili flakes into chili crisp. It doesn’t add dramatic flavors to the overall product, but a good blend of oil can add subtle differences that will make your chili crisp unique. One important note: You have to think about the smoke point. Depending on the type of oil you choose, you may not be able to simmer chili flakes in oil for as long as you would like, because the hot temperature of the oil may burn the chili flakes too quickly. The point here is to have fun and find your own perfect oil through trial and error, so think beyond just canola oil and olive oil. How about ghee? Margarine? Beef fat? Any sort of liquid fat will work here. I’m imagining a chili crisp made out of chicken fat—I haven’t made that yet, but imagine how wildly delicious that would be!