The wild garlic foraging season is short, and before it ends, I have tried to come up with recipes to preserve it so I can still enjoy its flavour later in the year. One idea was to make batches of wild garlic chilli sauce. Keeping with the wild garlic and chilli combination, I'm also sharing my wild garlic chilli oil in this post. Wild garlic has a milder flavour than its cultivated cousin; therefore, it doesn't overpower other flavours. This wild garlic chilli oil is flavourful but not too hot or overpowering. It pairs well with noodles and even eggs on toast-a simple, quick flavour boost when you don't have much time to cook.
There is something very special about finding and harvesting your ingredients in the wild. I am a big wild garlic fan. It is an ingredient found growing in woodlands and is free!
When foraging for wild ingredients, it is essential to be confident with your identification. It can be easy to misidentify a foraged ingredient and eat something harmful. For instance, wild garlic resembles the lily of the valley, which is poisonous. Let me say again, be 100% confident with your identification.
Please visit my noodle soup with wild greens recipe for more information about wild garlic.
Ingredients
- Wild garlic
- Salt
- White sesame seeds
- Olive oil
- Chilli flakes
- Gochugaru - Korean chilli powder
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To begin, wash, pat dry and finely chop the wild garlic(including the stems)
In a heatproof bowl, add the Gochugaru and chilli flakes.
Then add the salt and sesame seeds.
Finally, add the chopped wild garlic. Add the ingredients in the order given to ensure even cooking when the hot oil is added.
Heat the olive oil in a separate pan until it is hot but not smoking. Pour the hot oil onto the wild garlic and other ingredients.
Mix the contents of the bowl well.
Serving suggestion: Add the wild garlic chilli oil to some noodles. Delicious!
How-To Video
Here is a video guide to making wild garlic chilli oil.
Substitutions
Wild garlic is essential for this recipe; however, if you don't have access to it, I suggest using the green part of spring onions and adding a clove or two of garlic. Alternatively, you can use foraged garlic mustard leaves, a widespread wild plant.
Storage
This is a fresh homemade wild garlic chilli oil, not a canned or commercially preserved product. Once made, transfer it to a clean jar or bottle and store it in the fridge straight away. Use within 4 days.
Do not store at room temperature, even though the wild garlic is covered in oil. The oil may solidify slightly in the fridge; let it stand briefly at room temperature before using, then return it to the fridge.
For longer storage, freeze the chilli oil in small portions, such as an ice cube tray, then transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer-safe container. Defrost only as much as you need; do not refrigerate any leftovers.
Discard the oil if it smells unusual, bubbles, ferments, grows mould, or has been left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Homemade condiments that have not been canned carry a risk of botulism. The risk may be low, but there is a risk.
Top tip
Use the order given on the recipe card to pile the ingredients into the heatproof bowl before pouring the hot oil over them. Doing so will ensure the wild garlic leaves get cooked, and the chilli and other ingredients don't burn.
It is important to use correctly sterilised jars to store the wild garlic chilli oil. Wash the jar in hot, soapy water, then place it in an oven at 100ºC for 30 minutes.
If you like this wild garlic recipe, why not check out my other wild garlic recipes:
📖 Recipe
Wild Garlic Chilli Oil
Equipment
Ingredients
- 90 gms Wild garlic leaves about 50 leaves
- 1 tablespoon Gochugaru Korean chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 200 gm Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Whites sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wash, pat dry and finely chop the wild garlic.
- In a bowl add the gochugaru, chilli flakes, salt, sesame seeds and finally the chopped wild garlic leaves. Please stick to this order to ensure even cooking of the ingredients when the hot oil is added.
- In a separate pot, heat the olive oil. It should be hot but not smoking.
- Pour the hot oil over the wild garlic and other ingredients in the heatproof bowl and mix well.
- Once cooled, transfer into a sterilised bottle and it's ready to use.
Food Safety
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
Karen says
I found the last of wild garlic and some mustard garlic and made this chilli oil. I didn’t have chilli flakes so just used gochigaru, also swap olive oil for vegetable oil. It turned out really delicious with some rice noodles 😋. Super quick supper. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I will definitely will be doing next year.
Chef Tripti says
Thank you! It's a go-to for a quick meal for me too!
Oli says
Amazing recipe! Easy to make and delicious with noodles, eggs and almost anything else. Thanks Chef Tripti!
Chef Tripti says
I am so happy you like it. Thank you for giving it a go.
M says
Thanks for this recipe. Just made it and it's cooling - I tried a small bit and it's delicious, although too salty for me. Is the salt needed for preservation? I'm sure on something like pasta, the salt quantity would be fine, but just wondering if so much is needed? Thanks
Chef Tripti says
You're welcome. The salt is for preservation and for flavour. Usually when I use it in my noodles or dumplings, then I dont need to add any extra salt. Perhaps the salt has not been distributed evenly, try and give it a mix.Of course you can adjust it to your liking, perhaps in the next batch. Please do let me know if you enjoyed it.
M says
Thanks so much for your reply. By the next day it wasn't too salty! So maybe you are right, I might not have distributed it properly. Or it mellowed overnight. Very delicious, thank you 🙂
Chef Tripti says
Thank you. I really appreciate your kind words.
Chef Tripti says
I forgot to mention, please may I request you to leave me a star rating. It helps the recipe reach more people. Thank you in advance.
Tripti