Chili Crisp is having a moment right now, and the reasons are obvious. With the rise of people cooking at home again, but maybe being somewhat limited by their culinary prowess, consumers are eager to add some extra flavour, and thus, this killer condiment category is red hot.
What Is Chili Crisp?
Chili crisp is an infused chili oil condiment with crunchy bits, made by simmering chili peppers, onion, garlic and seasonings in oil. It is spicy, salty and savory with an addictive umami, great for adding flavor and texture to anything from sandwiches to desserts. You can use the crispy crunchy bits or just the chili oil, or both, and it easily takes almost any dish up to 11. There are about as many recipes and styles of chili crisp as there are people that rave about it.
Chili Crisp goes with EVERYTHING. It's great on plain rice, fish, vegetables, steaks, pizza, and surprisingly ice cream. You can cook with it, or just use it as a topping. It's exceptionally versatile and is a lifesaver for a bored palate.
The Food Incubator Kitchen has two exceptional start ups in the space, with different spins on classic flavouring. ZING’s Hakka-ish Chili Crisp uses primarily crisp chilis and dried mushroom for that hot umami bomb flavour, while Super Magic Taste uses Almonds and Sesame Seeds to maximize the crunch factor.
The bottom line is try it! It’s the perfect summer ingredient to spice up anything you might be making. Our go-to chili crisp dish can be found below, courtesy of Accelerator Cohort 12 alumni and current Food Incubator member, Zing Pantry Shortcuts.
Zing's Radish and Burrata Salad with Chili Crisp
Serves 2
Ingredients:
• 1 pc burrata
• 2 radishes
• 1 watermelon radish
• 2 tbsp Hakka-ish Chili Crisp, or another Chili crisp
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• ½ tsp coarse sea salt
Method:
1. First, slice the radish. Using a very sharp knife or mandolin, slice the radishes thinly. If you’re not assembling the salad straight away, keep the sliced radishes in ice water so they maintain their colour and texture.
2. To serve, slice the burrata in half. Place the burrata on a plate (half for each portion), and sprinkle the radishes over. Sprinkle over the vinegar, Hakka-ish, and finish with the sea salt.
Notes: If you can’t get burrata, fresh mozzarella will work just as well. Want to make a meal of it? Add some fresh bread. Can't find watermelon radish? Just use whatever radishes you can find, they taste very similar.
Zing Pantry Shortcuts
Zing works in collaboration with some of your favourite chefs and food creators across North America to bring the secret sauce to your home cooking — quite literally. Their one-of-a-kind sauces and seasonings are designed to be pantry shortcuts: single ingredient flavour-boosters that can instantly elevate the flavour of whatever you’re making.