MAKES 1¾ CUPS
Perhaps the most versatile of our seasoned oils, this is a light infusion speaking equally of different flavors. The oil may cloud, but the flavor will not be impaired.
1⅓ cups corn or peanut oil
½ cup Japanese sesame oil
3 large scallions, cut into thick green and white rings
10 quarter-size thin coins fresh ginger, smashed
1½ teaspoons shockingly pungent dried red chili flakes
2 teaspoons Szechwan peppercorns
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a heavy, non-aluminum 1- to 1½-quart saucepan. Rest a deep-fry thermometer on the rim of the pot. Over moderately low heat, bring the mixture to a bubbly 225°F, stirring occasionally. Let simmer for 15 minutes, checking to ensure the temperature does not rise. Remove from the heat and let stand until cool or overnight.
2. Strain the oil without pressing the solids; then, discard the solids. Store the oil in an impeccably clean glass jar at cool room temperature.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: This is a wonderful oil for dressing noodles and salads. Its lemony tang makes it a great partner for fish.
My simple rule in making infused oils and vinegars is to begin with products that have great flavor and aroma. Oils are a bit of a separate question in that, flavor aside, they require additional considerations of heating quality and viscosity. Mazola corn oil is my first choice; Planter’s peanut oil is my second. Both these oils can be heated to a high temperature without burning and both have a light consistency and a neutral taste on the tongue. I avoid using cold-pressed oils for infusions; often they taste too strongly of corn or peanut.
For the accent oil, I choose Kadoya sesame oil. The toasting and pressing of this particular brand of sesame oil is done with such consistent care that I have never had a burnt-tasting or rancid bottle in all my years of cooking. If your market does not have Kadoya brand, taste the other candidates with a critical tongue and nose.
Marukan unseasoned rice vinegar (with the green label) and Heinz distilled white vinegar and Heinz apple cider vinegar are my vinegars of choice in making infusions. Mitsukan unseasoned rice vinegar is another good brand. These are not the least expensive, but in my experience they are the most tasty, with a broad range of flavor in addition to the acidic bite.
In the realm of dry and fresh aromatics used for infusing, you must also choose with care:
Dried red chili flakes should be red (indicating sweetness and fire), not brown or purple-black. They should be so pungent that you rear back when you smell them. The bag should contain no more than 25 percent seeds.
Szechwan peppercorns should smell profoundly good and herbal. The bag should contain few if any black seeds. Twigs and tiny leaves are part of the bundle, along with a good-size thorn every so often (that should be picked out).
Chinese fermented black beans should be moist and pliable to the touch. They should taste good, with a nice range of flavor in the aftertaste. My favorite brand is Pearl River Bridge, in a round yellow box. Don’t use beans that are hard and shriveled. Likewise, don’t wash them before use; you want the salt they carry as a contribution to the infusion.
Garlic, ginger, and lemongrass should be rock-hard fresh, with no hint of mold to the eye or the nose.
Scallions should be straight-standing and perky, ideally wearing their white beards as a sign of freshness. They should feel dry or pleasantly moist from the grocer’s water pistol, not slimy.
Orange and lemon zest should be washed well in warm water with an abrasive scrubber and then rinsed squeaky-clean, even if the fruit came from your backyard tree.
Last, but not least, Diamond kosher salt is the only kind I use unless a recipe specifies otherwise. It comes in a big red and gold box and is a feature of most good restaurant kitchens. No other brand, in my experience, is so consistently mild and clean-tasting. Buy a box from a neighborhood restaurant if you can’t convince your grocer to order it.
For ingredients not covered here specifically—also, in the happy instance that making our infusions starts you creating your own—trust your own good nose and tongue: If you don’t like the smell or the taste of something, then don’t use it.