chile crisp

In this 20-minute recipe, a mixture of savory condiments coats bowlfuls of wide noodles chilled slightly by a quick rinse in cool water. While you cook the udon, take the time to prepare the sauce, abundant with contrasting flavors, and the fresh herbs. The sauce can be made in advance, but make sure it’s at room temperature before tossing it with the noodles and the cilantro at the last minute. Substitutions are welcome: Swap in chile crisp in place of the chile oil with crunchy garlic, or scallions in place of garlic chives. Sichuan chile oil brings a citrusy flavor that is hard to replicate, so don’t skip it. It can vary in spice level: For a milder sauce, use only the liquid oil, or add Sichuan peppercorns from the bottom of the oil for extra tingle. Fried shallots are here for texture, but omit them if you use chile crisp.

Chile-Oil Noodles With Cilantro

udon noodles

chile oil garlic

sesame oil

Sichuan chile oil,

soy sauce

garlic chives

store-bought fried shallots, crumbled by hand (optional)

cilantro

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook noodles according to package instructions, stirring from time to time to prevent them from sticking. Drain well in a colander, then run noodles under cold water until cooled.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all three oils with the soy sauce and 1/2 cup garlic chives.

Toss cooled noodles into the chile oil mixture. Gently fold in the crumbled fried shallots and chopped cilantro. Divide among four bowls, and top with more garlic chives and cilantro sprigs.

While stir-fries have long gone hand-in-hand with rice, this recipe shows the versatility of the dish. Here, a quick stir-fry is transformed into a flavorful, unconventional pasta sauce. <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021925-five-spice">Five spice</a> is a Chinese seasoning that is said to incorporate all five tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. In this recipe, its blend of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel intensifies the robust flavor of the mushrooms. Don’t overcook the broccolini; it should be crisp, with a bright green vibrancy. You could easily substitute broccoli, green beans, snow peas or other crunchy greens. And don’t skip the butter (or use vegan butter, if you prefer), as it provides a beautiful richness which brings the sauce and ingredients together.

Mushroom Pasta Stir-Fry

Kosher salt and black pepper

spaghetti or other long pasta

neutral oil,

mushrooms (any small variety),

garlic cloves, grated

five-spice blend

broccolini,

unsalted butter

scallions, thinly sliced

oyster sauce (or vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce)

maple syrup or brown sugar

chile oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat a large (12-inch), deep skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 2 tablespoons oil and the mushrooms. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, giving it a stir every 2 minutes or so. The mushrooms will release lots of liquid, but it will evaporate as it cooks. When the mushrooms start to turn golden, add the garlic, five spice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper, then cook for 1 minute. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.

While the mushrooms are cooking, make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the oyster sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, sesame oil and chile oil with 1/4 cup water until combined. Set aside.

Heat the same skillet back over medium-high. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the broccolini. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the broccolini is tender but still quite crisp.

Add the pasta to the pan, along with the sauce and the butter. Using tongs, toss to combine, then add the reserved pasta cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, just to loosen the sauce. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and toss again. Remove from the heat. Serve topped with scallions.

These rice bowls are both a comfort and a thrill to eat. They star chickpeas sizzled in <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022366-chile-crisp">chile crisp</a>, a Chinese condiment made of oil, chiles and a variety of textural and umami-packed ingredients, such as fried shallots and garlic, sesame seeds, and preserved black beans. You could snack on the electrifyingly tingly chickpeas solo, or make them into a meal with rice and a juicy mixture of tomatoes, celery, cilantro and soy sauce. You can swap out the celery for other crunchy vegetables, like bok choy, cucumbers or snap peas, but keep the tomatoes; their sweetness provides reprieve from the spicy chickpeas.

Chile-Crisp Chickpea Rice Bowls

rice

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

store-bought chile

Neutral oil (such as grapeseed), as needed

cooked, rinsed chickpeas (homemade

sugar,

celery stalks, coarsely chopped, plus any leaves

cilantro leaves and stems

In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rice rest, covered, until ready to eat. (Alternatively, cook rice in a rice cooker or however you like to cook rice.)

While the rice cooks, make the chickpeas: Add the chile crisp to a large (12-inch), nonstick skillet and heat over medium. (Make sure there is enough oil — not just solids — covering the bottom of the skillet. If your chile oil is mostly solids, add a little neutral oil to cover to skillet.) 

Add the chickpeas and a pinch of sugar, stir to coat in the oil, then spread into an even layer. Cook until the chickpeas start to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp all over, 7 to 10 minutes more. If the pan looks dry at any point, add a drizzle of neutral oil (or more chile crisp if you want it really, really spicy). 

While the chickpeas and rice cook, stir together the tomatoes, celery, celery leaves, cilantro, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar in a medium bowl. 

When the rice and chickpeas are ready, divide the rice among plates or bowls. Pour some of the liquid from the bowl of tomatoes over the rice, then top with the tomatoes and celery, the chickpeas and more chile crisp, if desired. 

Let’s be clear: Nothing surpasses the hearty deliciousness of a traditional <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021459-mapo-tofu">mapo tofu</a>. But for those days when you find yourself without soft tofu in the fridge, or when you are craving something vegetarian, this mapo potato will hit the mark. Potatoes step in for tofu and pork, providing a perfect vessel that eagerly soaks up all of the deep fermented flavors. (If you want a hit of protein, you can add some soft tofu just before you add the cornstarch slurry in Step 3.) Doubanjiang, a fermented bean paste that is a staple in Chinese cuisine, provides mapo dishes with its signature spicy umami richness; each brand will vary in heat so adjust according to your personal preference. If you don’t have doubanjiang, you could substitute with fermented black soybeans, which are less spicy but will give you similar salty funkiness.

Mapo Potato

Neutral oil,

doubanjiang

Sichuan peppercorns (from 1 teaspoon whole)

carrots,

red chiles

garlic cloves,

potatoes

sugar

vegetable stock

cornstarch,

scallions,

Chile oil or chile crisp,

White rice,

Heat a large Dutch oven or wide pot over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil along with the doubanjiang, Sichuan peppercorns, carrots and dried chile. Stir for 2 minutes, until fragrant and carrots have softened slightly.

Add the ginger, garlic and potatoes and sugar and stir well. Add the stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the cornstarch slurry and stir carefully, doing your best not to break up the potatoes. (It’s OK if some of them break.) Remove from the heat.

Taste and season with salt, if needed. Finish with sesame oil and scallions and, if you want more heat, drizzle with chile oil. Serve with rice.

Top 4 chile crisp recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Chile-Oil Noodles With Cilantro

Mushroom Pasta Stir-Fry

Chile-Crisp Chickpea Rice Bowls

Mapo Potato

Top 4 chile crisp recipes from across the web

The most viewed chile crisp recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chile-Oil Noodles With Cilantro

Mushroom Pasta Stir-Fry

Chile-Crisp Chickpea Rice Bowls

Mapo Potato

The most viewed chile crisp recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine