Piri Piri Oil
- Makes2 cups
- Cook Time10 minutes
This is our version of the spicy, herbal piri-piri oil that's offered as a condiment on nearly every restaurant table in Lisbon. Instead of hard-to-find piri-piri chilies, we used árbol chilies; to get the right heat level and color, we coarsely grind half of them and simply break the rest by hand. Store the oil in a tightly sealed container for up to one month. If you like, the recipe can be halved. If you can’t find árbol, substitute with 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes and 2 teaspoons sweet paprika.
Don't overheat the oil or its flavor will turn acrid. Use an instant thermometer to monitor the temperature, and don't let it go above 275°F.
Step 1
Place half of the chilies in a spice grinder and pulse until coarsely ground, about 10 pulses.
In a small saucepan, combine the ground chilies and the remaining halved chilies. Add the oil, garlic, bay and rosemary. Heat over low, stirring occasionally, until the mixture registers 275°F, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 2
Off heat, stir in the oregano. Cool to room temperature. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, then transfer to a clean jar and seal tightly.
