A drizzle of Gil’s Habañero Tequila Oil will spice up dish—north or south of the border. Photo courtesy of Frontera Foods.

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October 2005

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Oils, Vinegars & Salad Dressings

Gil’s Habañero Tequila Oil

Waking Up Everyday Dishes

Hardcore “chile heads” take note: Gil’s Habañero Tequila Oil is a fiery must-have addition to your infused oils. It adds potent heat to everything it touches, making it a muy impactful flavor enhancer.

The habañero pepper gets its name from Havana, Cuba, where lively flavors reign. Habañeros are among the hottest chile peppers in the world and rate around 200,000 to 300,000 Scoville Heat Units or SHUs (Scoville units are used to measure the heat of peppers—cayenne peppers usually fall into the range of 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units. Click here to see how the different peppers compare.)

Habañeros have long been a staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, though they also work well in Asian and regional American dishes. Gil’s Habañero Tequila Oil, an olive oil which has been infused with habañeros and alcohol-free tequila flavor, is not quite that hot, though it is definitely not for the bland of palate. Floating in each stylishly slender bottle of Gil’s are whole dried habañero pods and chile de arbol peppers...along with natural extract of habañero peppers and hot red pepper flavoring, just to ensure that no drop fails to deliver its payload.

This is the point where we disclose that we are not hot sauce junkies: we have delicate gourmet palates and do not seek heat-for-heat’s sake. We found Gil’s Habañero Tequila Oil to be one of those especially well-crafted products that brings together quality olive oil and true, discernable chile flavor...and yes, the heat that goes along with it. But Gil’s stands out in a field of high-SHU products whose only flavor is hot. Gil’s Habañero Tequila Oil affords flexibility in cooking and entertaining, because you can use the oil straight, or dilute it with regular olive oil to keep the flavor and “cool down” the heat.

Aren’t they pretty? You can grow habañeros at home with seeds from USHotstuff.com. Just don’t take a bite.

Yes, you can use Gil’s anywhere you would use quality olive oil. Here are some of the places we’ve taken it.  Let us know how you enjoy it.

• Make a spicy vinaigrette—use half regular olive oil, half Gil’s, or 2/3:1/3.
• Use it as a dipping oil with sliced baguette. Decorate the platter with actual chiles and even the bottle of Gil’s (it’s nice to look at).  It’s good munching at at any gathering, and especially great with cold beer (and at Super Bowl parties).
• Fire up regular garlic toast by spreading a few drops on the bread under the garlic spread.
• Rub it on meat or seafood before roasting or grilling. Add the oil to marinades.
• Mix to taste with cooked pasta, either before saucing or as its own spicy sauce. Just add grated cheese. For a devilishly good time, grate habañero cheddar cheese, have that fiery garlic bread on the side, and drink with chili beer.  Just be sure you’re over 21 and have cleared this meal with your healthcare provider.
• Spicy mashed potatoes? Mmmmm. Mash with half butter, half habañero oil.  Add some fresh basil or cilantro.  Legal disclosure: THE NIBBLE bears no responsibility for any resulting addiction to this dish.
• Make a bowl of mild salsa instantly hot by stirring in a teaspoon of Gil’s...or just add a few drops to kick up a fruit salsa.
• We love the way this oil lends spiciness to a simple vegetable stir-fry or Asian noodle dish.  We couldn’t stop there: we used it to make hot pepper shrimp, a spicy habañero aïoli, sauteed Asian beef and spicy crab cakes.

True devotees of spicy foods will be able to plan an entire meal based around this one jar of oil. Its versatility makes it great for breakfast (eggs), lunch and dinner dishes; and those willing to do a little experimenting might even be able to work this burning oil into a dessert (spicy sautèed bananas and peaches with vanilla ice cream, perhaps?).

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