Hot, hot, hot: Chilli oil

If your cooking needs some spicing up or your chilli plant grows like wildfire, here's a spicy old recipe from my Nonno to preserve them to keep the heat going.

Homemade chilli oil - it's as easy as 1,2,3

Chilli oil. A little mix that fired up so many meals - stir-frys, marinades, sauces. Our family always competes to see who can stomach the most as we dribble a bit on our pastas.

It's so simple, Hubby threw it together with no chilli eye or sliced fingers, despite a raging hangover from his birthday festivities the night before.

Hubby being careful not to touch his face as he slices and dices

The key is the chux. My grandparents swear you need the oil to breathe for it to infuse.

Chilli Oil
6 - 12 chillies (or as many as you have)

Glove of garlic

Olive oil 

Jar

Chux clothes

Method

1. Sterilise the jar with hot water and leave to air dry. 
2. Crush garlic glove into the jar and season with salt.
3. Slice the chillies, and put into the jar with the seeds.
4. Fill the jar with the olive oil. Shake for a couple of minutes.
5. Cut a chux in half, fold and rubber band it on the top.
6. Leave for at least a week in the pantry before using. The longer it's left, the chillier the oil.

A hungover masterchef at work