Best Pilipili Oil Recipes

PILIPILI OIL

Pilipili Oil image

Pilipili, chiles in Swahili, infuse oil along with aromatics like herbs and onion to create a spicy condiment. Similar to hot sauce, these chile oils, found in Africa and across the African diaspora, provide a kick when drizzled on a dish. This version from the chef and author Bryant Terry uses fresh, small bird's eye or Thai chiles for their vibrant taste and their availability in most supermarkets. Smoked paprika adds a bit of depth and helps to make the oil fire-engine red.

Provided by Korsha Wilson

Time 10m

Yield About 1 cup

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
9 small fresh bird's eye or Thai chiles
2 (2-inch) thyme sprigs
2 (2-inch) rosemary sprigs
2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Steps:

In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and heat over low, stirring occasionally, until the oil starts to sizzle and the paprika has darkened. Immediately remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Transfer the mixture to a small jar or bottle, seal, and refrigerate for a few days before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

PILI PILI (SPICY HERB OIL)

Pili Pili (Spicy Herb Oil) image

This spicy oil with an African name is popular throughout Provence. It's usually on the table in pizzerias for drizzling, but it's also terrific drizzled over vegetables, grilled meats or fish, grains and bread - whatever you want to add a kick to. In France it is made with very hot bird chilies. You could use fresh Thai chilies for this, but I'm using dried chiles de arbol, because that's what I have on hand and it makes an oil that will last for months.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories condiments

Time 15m

Yield 1 to 1.25 cups oil

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
12 whole small dried red chili peppers or Japanese chilies, or about 8 chiles de arbol, broken in half, or 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 to 1 1/4 cups olive oil (does not need to be extra virgin), or a combination of olive oil and grapeseed oil, as needed

Steps:

Place the herbs, chiles and oil in a medium saucepan and heat slowly over low heat until they begin to sizzle. If you insert a thermometer, the temperature should not go above 220ºF. Turn off the heat and wait for the oil to stop sizzling, then cover and allow to cool.
Transfer the herbs and chiles to a clean, sterilized bottle (you may need to use a funnel to do this neatly). Pour on the olive oil. Close tightly and allow to stand in a dark, cool place for a week to mature.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1060, UnsaturatedFat 91 grams, Carbohydrate 23 grams, Fat 109 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 5 grams, SaturatedFat 15 grams, Sodium 25 milligrams, Sugar 13 grams