Szechuan/Sichuan-Spiced Chili Oil

• 4 cups Neutral oil
• 1/4 cup Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 piece Ginger, inch long
• 2 Scallions
• 1 Garlic clove, bruised
• 1 piece Cinnamon or cassia bark
• 4 Star anise pods
• 3 Black cardamom pods
• 2 cups Whole dried chilies
• 2 tablespoons Whole cloves
• 1/4 cup Chili powder
• 1/4-2 cups Crushed chilies, see note
• 1 tablespoon Sesame oil (optional)
• 1 pinch 5 spice powder (optional)

1. Optional: soak the Sichuan peppercorns in the neutral oil overnight. If you enjoy the numbing sensation (or need to mitigate some intensely spicy chilies), this is for you. Otherwise, include the peppercorns when you add the other dry spices.
2. Clean and sterilize containers that will accommodate about 6 cups of oil. Divvy up the chili flakes and powder between them if you would like a chunky dipping oil as pictured. Otherwise, you may steep the oil in the saucepan and strain the solids out before portioning it.
3. Clean the fresh aromatics (garlic, scallions, and ginger) and chop into large segments. Combine the peppercorns, oil, aromatics, and whole spices in a large saucepan. Bring the oil to the barest of simmers and maintain it for 20 minutes. At the end, add the pinch of 5 spice powder and tablespoon of sesame oil, if using. After, let the oil cool until you are comfortable pouring it.
4. Pour the oil through a strainer into the container with the pulverized chilies. Let steep at room temperature for 24 hours- it will attain a red hue and its spicy punch. Subsequently use or refrigerate, as the fresh aromatics increase the chance the oil will spoil.

neutral oil, peppercorns, ginger, scallions, garlic, cinnamon, anise pods, black cardamom pods, chilies, cloves, chili powder, chilies, sesame oil, spice powder

Taken from food52.com/recipes/33387-szechuan-sichuan-spiced-chili-oil (may not work)