Saucy Tiger-Skin Green Chilies

Jiang Hupi Qingjiao (酱虎皮青椒)

Fried Green Chilies are first mixed with robust flavors like ginger, garlic, red chilies, and cilantro and then tossed in a tangy vinaigrette made from Chinese black vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar.

While the Chilies are fried, Saucy Green Chilies is actually a cold dish. Frying the Chilies creates a wrinkly texture, whitens the skin, and adds the darker bands that resemble tiger stripes. Saucy Green Chilies is, therefore, simply a version of Tiger Skin Green Chilies (虎皮青椒). After frying, the Chilies are combined with an incredible tangy Sauce infused with Aromatics.

The entire recipe for Saucy Green Chilies is easy to make and requires little culinary prowess. Nevertheless, the results are exceptional. Prepare this dish first when cooking a meal, store it in the fridge while making the main course, and retrieve it when the meal is ready. The Saucy Green Chilies can be arranged in straight lines on a central plate or folded and placed on small individual dishes. Regardless of how the Chilies are arranged, pour plenty of the leftover Sauce over them along with some of the Garlic, Ginger, and Red Chilies.

The type of Sauce used in this recipe is a simple Chinese vinaigrette, but this could also be seen as a simple version of a Seasoned Soy Sauce. In fact, tangy Aromatic Soy Sauce (芳香酱油) could be used in this recipe or even a small amount of Red Soy Sauce (复制酱油) so long as the amount doesn't distract from the Aromatics or add too much sweetness. The goal is to have a tangy, aromatic Sauce that’s slightly more sour than sweet and has more of a fresh aromatic flavor from Garlic and Ginger than a spiced aromatic flavor from Star Anise and Cassia Bark. Nevertheless, a Chinese Five-Spice flavor is not unwelcomed in the following recipe.

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 35 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

4 to 8 Green Chilies (the amount will vary depending on the size of the Green Chilies, but for the large ones I only use 4)

Peanut Oil

Aromatics
5 Red Chilies
4 - 6 cloves of Garlic
1 4-inch block of Fresh Ginger (Young Ginger 仔姜 is best)
1 small bundle of Cilantro

Sauce
1/3 cup Light Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Chinkiang Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. White Sugar

Directions

1.) Wash the Green Chilies and pat them dry. Cut off the stems but do not cut off the tops of the Chilies.

(You can optionally make a small cut at the top of each Chili to allow air and moisture within the Chili to safely vent during the frying process. Oil is less likely to pop and sputter this way).

2.) Fill a wok about half full for deep frying and heat on high. When the Oil is extremely hot, carefully add the Green Chilies and fry them for about 30 seconds.

(If the Green Chilies are quite large, you can fry them in two batches or cut them into smaller 4-inch-long pieces before frying them).

3.) Cut off the heat and continue to fry the Chilies for about one minute. Remove them from the Oil and set them aside on a wire rack to cool while preparing the Aromatics and the Sauce.

4.) Prepare the following Aromatics, placing each into a large mixing bowl:

• Slice the Red Chilies in half lengthwise and add them to the bowl.
• Peel and thinly slice the Garlic cloves, adding the slices to the bowl.
• Slice the Ginger lengthwise into thin slices and add them to the bowl. (You can optionally slice the back and front of the Ginger at 45-degree angles to create aesthetic diamond shapes).
• Cut the roots off the Cilantro; discard the roots and wash the rest. Cut the Cilantro bundle in half, put the halves together, and then quickly run your knife through them, chopping them into little pieces. Add the Cilantro to the bowl.

5.) Once cooled, add the fried Green Chilies to the bowl with all of the Aromatics and gently mix everything together.

6.) In a separate bowl, mix together all of the Sauce ingredients (Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Sesame Oil, Salt, and Sugar) making sure to fully dissolve the Salt and Sugar.

7.) Pour the Sauce over the Green Chilies and gently mix everything for at least 30 seconds until the Sauce, Aromatics, and fried Green Chilies are fully incorporated.

8.) The Saucy Tiger-Skin Green Chilies can be served immediately. BUT they are best after being stored in a fridge for roughly 30 minutes to fully infuse the flavors.

Serving Instructions:

When ready to serve, pour some of the Sauce into a flat bowl or deep saucer. Place one or two of the fried Green Chilies on top of the Sauce and add a few of the sliced Aromatics around the sides of the Chili as a garnish. Since many varieties of Chinese Green Chilies are rather long, the Chilies may need to be arranged so as to fit on the plate. The Chilies can be folded in half, rolled up into roses, or cut into 2-inch-long or 4-inch-long pieces. Add a final drizzle of the Sauce and the Saucy Tiger-Skin Green Chilies will be ready to serve alongside rice and other Sichuan essential dishes.

 

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