A huge, fat welcome to FLAVOUR NUGGETS! This is the first instalment of a project I’ve been working on for a while; to learn more about this newsletter and why I started it, read this. Up to speed? Grand. Let’s get going!
You will have heard of chilli crisp, which has become the must-have condiment of the past few years. Of course, it’s been consumed in China (where it was invented) for centuries. The most well-known commercial brand is Lao Gan Ma (‘Old Godmother’), featuring the face of its creator, Tao Huabi, and you’ve likely got a jar or two on your shelf. The appeal of chilli crisp lies in the infinitely pleasurable combination of intensely flavoured ‘bits’ within the oil. That mysterious rubble at the bottom of the jar is spooned, glistening, across everything from fried eggs to noodles, dumplings, tofu and even ice cream. However, the nugget I bring you today is not a chilli crisp. It’s a crispy-bits oil, yes, but it contains - shock and horror - NO CHILLI. I love chilli oils as much as the next person but I dared to wonder what a straight-up flavour-filled cronch-fest would be like and I am here to tell you: SO GOOD. So, here she is - a condiment with a bunch of tasty fried bits including garlic and shallots, some nuts and seeds for their complementary oleaginous vibes and - quite crucially - a touch of smoked paprika and brown sugar which both round out the flavour (sugar is very underrated when used in small amounts as a seasoning. I keep a pot next to my salt). Also, I hate to say it, as it’s nodding to yet another (quite exhausted now, I think) food fad, but there is a touch of the ‘everything bagel’ here thanks to the poppy seeds and sesame. Although, it’s only a touch and not the dominant flavour.
It’s no exaggeration to say I went through this in just over a week. It’s stupidly easy to make and you can sling it on everything. Fried eggs are a good place to start, and if you’re into avocado, ricotta or peanut butter on toast for breakfast you are about to get a serious upgrade. Ditto smoked salmon bagels. I’ve had it in a steak sandwich, on hummus, in a BLT, on tomatoes, over baba ganoush and on noodles, rice and dumplings.
My favourite way to eat it, however, is in a gnocchi and roasted pumpkin dish I’ve developed for paid subs. It’s designed with the specific aim of showing off The Crunch at its best. Featuring browned gnocchi, sweet pumpkin wedges and pillowy ricotta, it’s an autumnal banger.
A couple of notes:
Sesame Garlic Crunch Makes 1 small jar. 150ml neutral oil In a small saucepan, heat the oil to 150C. Combine the sesame seeds, smoked paprika, poppy seeds, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl. Once the oil is up to temperature, fry the shallots, garlic and peanuts. It’s best to do this separately so you don’t burn one element. It’s a quick process overall so worth doing. So, fry the shallots until golden, then remove with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. Repeat this with the garlic, frying until just golden before removing (it will continue to crisp up). Finally, fry the peanuts until golden then remove with the slotted spoon and place on the paper too. Reheat the oil to 170C. Once the oil is hot, carefully pour it over the sesame seed mixture. Add the fried ingredients to the oil and mix well. Set aside to cool (around 45 minutes) then store in a sterilised jar.
Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Flavour nugget #1: sesame garlic crunch
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