Umami crisp

December 24, 2023

One of Cindy's birthday presents this year was a copy of Hetty McKinnon's newish cookbook Tenderheart. We've had some great successes with To Asia With Love, so it seemed like an obvious book to add to our collection. We're off to a strong start - the crispy salt and vinegar kale chips with chickpeas and avo was a lovely weeknight dinner, and the closest I've come to actually getting chickpeas to crisp up properly.

The broccoli wontons were a bit more involved, but equally excellent - they provided meal after meal for us during the structure-less post-Christmas period. 

   

Both of these dishes were really off the charts thanks to the addition of Hetty's umami crisp, a variation on the various chilli oils that were in her last book and I think the one we'll wind up making the most. The inclusion of dried porcini mushrooms and flaked almonds really brings out a richer, deeper flavour and some great crunchy textures. I love a blow-your-head-off chilli oil as much as the next person, but this one feels a bit more sophisticated. It's super easy to make too, and our first batch just ran out, so it's time to get back at it. 

Umami crisp

(from Hetty McKinnon's Tenderheart, 

and also published in the Sydney Morning Herald)

20g dried porcini mushrooms, chopped

1 shallot, chopped finely

4 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1/2 cup flaked almonds

1/2 cup toasted white sesame seeds

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon red chilli flakes

1 tablespoon gochugaru

1.25 cups of vegetable oil

1 tablespoon tamari

2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons salt

Combine the vegetable oil, gochugaru, chilli flakes, cinnamon stick, sesame seeds, flaked almonds, garlic, shallot and porcini in a saucepan over high heat. Cook for a couple of minutes until the oil starts to bubble and then lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes or so. You want everything to go nice and golden without burning - stir occasionally, but keep a pretty close eye on things. 

When you're happy, strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and let the mixture cool. When it's completely cool, stir it back into the oil and add the tamari, sesame oil and salt. Store in a jar in the fridge and serve it on absolutely everything.