Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan over a medium heat with the shallots, garlic and whole spices. Cook, reducing the heat and swirling the pan occasionally to ensure everything cooks evenly – it should take about 35-45 mins until the shallots and garlic are lightly brown and crispy.
Add the chilli flakes, sesame seeds and Sichuan pepper, turn up the heat to high and sizzle for 1 min before using a metal mesh sieve to carefully pour the oil into a heatproof jug. Let the garlic mixture sit in the sieve for at least an hour to crisp up – to make it extra crispy, leave overnight.
Combine the ginger, soy and sugar in a bowl before stirring into the flavoured oil. Add the garlic mixture back into the oil, too (you can pour some of the oil off into a separate bottle if you prefer). Stir in sea salt flakes to taste. Stored in sterilised jars, the chilli crisp will keep for four weeks in the fridge.
