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Place the sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pound with a pestle until ground. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl and add the crushed red chilli flakes, toasted sesame seeds, fresh ginger, soy sauce and sugar. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and set aside.
Place the shallots, garlic, star anise, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and vegetable oil in a medium saucepan. Set it over a medium heat and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low/medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots and garlic are lightly browned (emphasis on the lightly). Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up to high to speed up the process. Extracting the moisture from the shallots and garlic, which is key to crisping them up, takes time – anywhere from 25 to 35 minutes.
Strain the shallot-garlic-oil into the heatproof bowl with the chilli mixture and stir to combine.
Let the shallots and garlic cool in the sieve – this will help them fully crisp up. Once cooled, discard the star anise, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves then stir the crispy shallots and garlic into the chilli oil.
Once the chilli crisp is fully cooled, transfer it to a jar and store in the fridge for up to a month. Stir well before serving. You can use it as soon as it cools down, but it’s even better the day after once the flavours have had a chance to develop and meld together.