G'day chili babies. This is the recipe I make when I want to feel fancy without doing fancy things. Whipped butter, white miso, a couple of glugs of Rippah Chili Oil. That's the whole move. Smear it thick on toasted baguette, top with scallions cooked two ways, and you've got a 25-minute appetizer that looks like it took an hour. Bloody delicious.
The butter does most of the work. Whip it up til it's pale and fluffy, fold the chili oil in by hand at the end so the crunchy bits stay crunchy, then leave it on the bench while you sort the rest. Honestly gets better after a day in the fridge. The miso mellows, the heat settles in, the whole thing rounds out.
why it works
Whipping the butter on its own first is the part most people skip, and it makes a huge difference. It triples in volume, goes pale, and stops feeling like a brick. The white (shiro) miso brings savoury depth without bullying the chili oil. The chili crisp goes in by hand at the end so the crunch survives. And the scallions get cooked two ways. One batch charred until black in a dry pan. One batch raw and curled in ice water. Smoky, sweet, fresh, all in the same bite.
If you've never charred scallions in a dry cast iron pan before, fully do it. Easiest way to make a humble vegetable taste like a restaurant cooked it.
ingredients
For the butter:
- 115g unsalted butter, room temp
- 30g white (shiro) miso
- 2 tbsp Rippah Chili Oil, plus more to finish
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp honey or mirin (optional)
For the crostini:
- 1 baguette, day-old
- Neutral or light olive oil, for brushing
- 1 garlic clove, halved (optional)
To finish:
- 4 to 5 scallions
- Flaky salt
- A few extra spoonfuls of Rippah Chili Oil
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Serves 4 to 6. 25 minutes. Makes about 150g butter.
how to make the butter
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Whip the butter on its own. Stand mixer with the paddle, or a hand mixer. 2 to 3 minutes until it's pale and cloud-textured.
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Add the miso and rice vinegar. Another minute until it's all blended through. Honey or mirin goes in now if you're using it.
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Fold the chili oil in by hand. Spatula, not the mixer, or you'll smash all the crunchy bits. Taste, season with flaky salt, leave on the bench while you do everything else.
how to do the crostini
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Toast the baguette. Slice on a sharp bias, about 1cm thick. Brush both sides lightly with oil. Bake at 190°C / 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until they're pale gold and crisp. The second they come out, rub the cut side of the garlic clove across each one. Optional but worth it.
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Char the scallions. White and light green parts of 4 to 5 scallions, cut into 6cm batons. Get a dry cast iron pan screaming hot. Lay the scallions down and don't move them for 60 to 90 seconds, until they're blistered black in spots. Flip, 30 seconds more. Pull off, splash with a tiny bit of rice vinegar and flaky salt, chop roughly.
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Curl the raw scallion tops. Thinly slice the dark green tops on a sharp bias. Drop in ice water for 2 minutes to curl and crisp up. Spin dry.
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Build them. Schmear the butter generously on each crostini. Top with the charred scallion, then the raw curls. Drizzle a thread of extra Rippah over the top. Flaky salt and a pinch of toasted sesame if you've got it.
storage and make-ahead
The butter keeps 5 days in the fridge. Honestly, it gets better after a day as the miso mellows. Pull it out 30 minutes before serving so it's spreadable.
Crostini are best the day of, but you can toast them a few hours ahead and store at room temp in a paper bag.
The charred scallions go on right before serving or they go soft.
what else to put it on
This is a starter for a dinner party. The easiest "wow" course you'll ever pull off. It's also a complete lunch with a green salad. A dry riesling or sake holds up to the heat. Beer works too. Anything cold and crisp.
If you've got butter left over, it's brilliant on steamed rice, soft scrambled eggs, a baked potato, roasted carrots, or charred corn. Trust me.
Made with Rippah Chili Oil. Small-batch, handmade in Toronto.
Made it? Tag @rippahchilioil on Instagram. You're a chili baby now.
Stay spicy, Nicola and Billy x
