Pickled Chili Crisp (Zhalajiao, 渣辣椒)
Equipment
- Food processor (optional)
- Mixing bowl
- Clean resealable jars
Ingredients
- 500 grams fresh chili pepper heat level of preference
- 500 grams coarse yellow cornmeal look for “stone-ground” and/or grits
- 150-200 grams salt use 15-20% salt by weight
- 2 tablespoons Chinese roasted rapeseed oil (caiziyou) enough to cover pan, and then some
Instructions
PICKLE
- Gather and wash your peppers. Set aside til completely dry. Slice off stems and dice roughly. If using a food processor, pulse in bursts so you don't end up with a mince. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the salt and mix. At this point, the peppers will exude some moisture. Let weep for 5-10 minutes (do not drain), then pour in the cornmeal and mix thoroughly.
- Transfer to a clean, airtight container. For jars with questionably airtight 1-piece lids, we lay plastic wrap across the opening and secure with a rubber band before spinning the lid back on. If using a Chinese pickling jar, make sure to keep the moat filled with water throughout the fermentation process.
- Store in a cabinet or other cool, dark place. Let ferment 3 weeks before using, and take care to avoid handling the jar or zhalajiao with oily hands or utensils. Like paocai, oil will cause zhalajiao to spoil. Only cook as much of the pickled chili at a time as you can eat within 3-4 days.
COOK
- Preheat a well-seasoned wok or nonstick pan on medium-high heat (if using nonstick, add oil before heating). Add enough caiziyou to cover the bottom and then some. Heat until it just begins smoking to rid the rapeseed oil of its raw odor.
- Pour in 1-2 cups of the mix, depending on pan size. Don't dump in too thick a layer of pickled chilis, or it may have trouble crisping up. Stir-fry about 10 minutes, stirring constantly the first couple minutes to coat mixture evenly with oil, then frequently to avoid sticking. Turn the heat down to medium if needed.
- When you can smell the chili fragrance and see the kernels turning dark orange/gold and translucent, keep a close watch so the crystallized mixture doesn’t turn into scorched crisps. Give it a taste test! You can take it off the heat once it’s begun to crisp up. It will become even crispier as it cools.
- Transfer to an open container once the pan is cool to the touch. If the mixture is still warm when you transfer to a container, the moisture may keep it from crisping up.
- Cover when completely cooled and store at room temperature. Use within 3-4 days. Zhalajiao is an excellent topping for mantou, congee, noodles, plain rice and all kinds of stir-fries. You can also stir-fry pork belly, green beans, potatoes and more with it as an ingredient straight from the pickle jar.
Notes
This is a salty dish. It's important to keep in mind that zhalajiao was and is pickled as necessary foodstuff with the ability to outlast the availability of fresh produce. Salt is therefore a main ingredient, not an add-to-taste flavoring. Unlike pickled vegetables, souring is not the goal; if your zhalajiao tastes sour after fermenting for three weeks, it has gone bad due to insufficient salt. If you are averse to saltiness, this recipe likely will not appeal to your tastebuds. Unlike some other fermented pickles, you will not be able to simply rinse the saltiness out of zhalajiao.
Fills 2-3 24 oz jars (at least 6-9 cups), depending on how tightly packed. This recipe is easily halved (or doubled!), so if you're sensitive to salt, you may want to make less the first time.
Cooking times are approximate for an electric range and nonstick pan. Your stove may run hotter, especially for gas fires and heavier pans. Keep an eye on the chili and reduce heat while tossing constantly if it starts smelling toasty!
*We minced the chilis pictured in this recipe but wished we had left larger, more noticeable pieces.