Lemon Peel Chili Crisp
Fragrant, zesty, and spicy—this Lemon Peel Chili Crisp adds bold flavor to any dish! It's easy, quick to make, and so delicious!
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Peels from about 2 lemons
- 1/4 Cup Diced Shallots about 1 shallot
- 2/3 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
- 2 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes or more
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- Black Pepper to taste, optional
Instructions
- To begin, prep all of your ingredients.
- Wash and dry your lemons. Using a peeler, peel off all of the rind on both lemons into strips. From there, carefully cut the strips into thinner strips, about 1/8" wide (but it doesn't have to be exact). Then, cut the strips down until you have little squares of lemon peel.
- Dice your shallot - the size should be similar to that of the lemon peels.
- In a glass or heat-proof bowl, add in the sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Set the bowl aside. (You MUST use a heat-proof bowl - you will be pouring very hot oil in it later!)
- In a small saucepot, bring the olive oil to medium-high heat. The oil should start to "shimmer" and become fragrant, but it shouldn't smell rancid. You want the oil to be hot, but not so hot that it burns the shallots and lemon peels.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add in the diced shallot. The shallots should start to bubble. Stir frequently until you see the shallots JUST begin to brown. The moment they take on a little color, add in the lemon peel, and stir.
- Continue stirring constantly until the shallot is golden brown. The moment you see the shallot golden brown, take the pot off heat and CAREFULLY pour it into your bowl over the sesame seeds and spices.
- Stir the mixture slowly and carefully, until everything is combined.
- Let the mixture cool completely to room temperature before using. Ideally, let the chili crisp rest for at least 1-2 hours to let the flavors full infuse, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Serve the chili crisp at room temperature and enjoy!
Notes
- You can absolutely add garlic to this recipe. I only omitted it because I wanted the lemon flavor to really shine. However, if you do choose to use garlic, finely mince it and set it aside in the bowl with the sesame seeds and other spices. Since garlic browns very, very quickly, I do not recommend putting it in the saucepot.
- See this excellent guide from America's Test Kitchen about what it means for oil to "shimmer".
- If your oil starts smoking like crazy and smells burnt, carefully get rid of it and start over.
- If you have a food/candy thermometer, you can use it for this recipe. You want the oil to stay around 375 degrees F while you're cooking the shallots and lemon peel.
- This chili crisp will last in the fridge for about 1-2 weeks.
Tried this recipe?Let me know @wellandfull or tag #wellandfull! :)