A couple of years ago my brother bought me Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook with bunches of delicious southwestern recipes in it. I love it. It is delicious. Mmm…
Unfortunately most of the stuff in there is really putzy; there’s recipes that require lots of time and ingredients and patience that on a day-to-day basis I don’t typically have. Still, there’s one recipe my brother pointed out that I’ve since made several times and will totally keep making. Both easy and delicious: chili oil!
Love that squeeze bottle.
Chili oil is a great alternative to other condiments. Whenever I blend up a batch of this stuff I basically stop using mayonnaise or mustard on my sandwiches until it’s all gone. With the toasted guajillo chilis, this oil adds a smoky and subtle spicy flavor to anything you eat, automatically making it more delicious. It’s a bit runny (it is oil, after all), but in my opinion it’s worth any mess.
This is my deathbed meal. Plus a side of my momma’s potato salad. And a slice of chocolate cake.
Case in point: one of the first things I slapped this stuff on was the above sandwich: ground turkey, avocado, tomato, and I’m pretty sure some soft goat cheese on sourdough. Dear god, it was delicious. I love turkey and avocados, and the oil added just the right amount of tang to make any other spice or condiment completely unnecessary. Beautiful simplicity!
Additionally, it’s super for plating a fancy meal. On a white plate the oil stands out in a beautiful orange and goes well with another green or other contrasting colored sauces.
Purty!
And naturally, like all of my favorite recipes, it’s stupidly easy to make. n00bs? Slackers? This one’s for you.
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Bobby Flay’s Red Chili Oil
Condensed from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook
Ingredients:
- 5 dried guajilla chilis, lightly toasted
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions:
- De-seed the chilis.
- Put the de-seeded chilis, salt and the oil into a blender.
- Blend like crazy for 5 minutes.
- Pass through a strainer and into a bowl or squeeze bottle.
- Enjoy (and keep refrigerated)!
Oh, Black & Decker blender…you’re always there.
Mary Gezo
Formerly of both n00bcakes and !Blog, the two magically become one on Spatialdrift; expect some lazy baking and serious nerditude. Also, I love semicolons.
YUmmm!
why are avocados so damn delicious? Seriously.. I eat them smashed on toast every chance I get and they make every sandwich better. Turkey and avocado with chili oil sounds amazing
I keep meaning to buy chili oil, but dang, it looks too easy to make! I think you should squeeze a little into the batter next time you make brownies or chocolate cake….
@Stephanie – Srsly, avocados are the bomb. The chili oil only makes them better!
@Jessica – Whoa, putting some into chocolate sounds like a great idea…I keep forgetting that combination can work well. And definitely make your own chili oil; it’s super easy and way worth it!