Achuete Oil

A great oil used for flavor and color, especially used for naturally coloring Longganisa (Spanish: Longaniza), a commonly known Philippine style of Chorizo. This recipe comes from Memories of Philippine Kitchens by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan (a good book on Filipino cooking). I add a little more kick with three small, but potent, Thai chilies.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups - Vegetable Oil. Or, another neutral oil. I would caution against using olive oil because the touch of acidity that it brings is rather marked when using the infused oil in cooking.
• 1/2 Cup - Annatto Seeds. I have managed to find these red gems only at Asian markets. You could substitute Annatto/Achuete powder. If you do, let me know how it turned out and how much you used. I would shy away from the “Goya” product since the packet contains other ingredients.
• 6 Whole Cloves - Garlic... Or, more. I used up to 10 cloves.
• 2 Bay Leaves (aka, Laurel Leaves)
• 2 Ancho Chilies - Remove the stems and tear up. These are dried. Check the Hispanic or Ethnic isle at the local grocer.
• 3 Thai Chilies - Split down the middle

Procedure:

1. In a small sauce pan, put all the dry ingredients in the oil.
2. On medium heat, heat the oil until it begins to boil or bubble.
3. Kill the heat and steep for an hour or two.
4. Strain out the solids and discard. You should end up with roughly 1 3/4 cups.
5. Keep the oil in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

This oil is great for use in home-made longganisa, Inasal na Manok (grilled chicken marinated in achuete oil and lemongrass) and Kare-Kare. When used for grilling, it give a nice, but subtle, smoky flavor and a great ruddy appearance.