Sichuan Pepper Fish

Huajiao Yu (花椒鱼)

Fresh fish and tofu are cooked in a fragrant-spicy soup with a trifecta of flavor from pickled red chilies, fresh green chilies, and succulent young ginger – all sizzling under Sichuan peppercorns.

Sichuan Pepper Fish combines the freshness of Young Ginger (仔姜) and Long Green Chilies (二荆条) with the tangy heat of Pickled Red Chilies and the sizzling power of Sichuan Peppercorns. These flavor combinations are quite popular in Zigong, Yibin, and nearby cities, where Young Ginger and Green Chilies are used abundantly. The Green Sichuan Peppercorns add another layer of freshness as the highly aromatic and potently numbing Peppercorns have an undeniable citrusy note – one that’s subtle yet refreshing.

You’re gonna need a big bowl for this dish. Traditionally, Sichuan Pepper Fish is cooked in a large wok and served in a massive bowl. The average homestyle wok will work just fine for preparing this dish, but having a large bowl that can easily accommodate the amount of Fish and Soup is imperative. Alternatively, the Fish and Soup can be divided evenly among two large bowls – just be sure to divide the Sichuan Peppercorn Oil evenly as well. The amount of Fish and Soup can actually fluctuate quite a lot, so having a large enough serving bowl will guarantee no Soup is wasted.

The reason that the amounts for this dish fluctuate is due simply to the Fish. Ideally, one whole Fish will be used for this dish. That Fish, however, can be any kind of White Fish such as Carp, fresh-water Bass, or Sea Bass. The size and weight even among one species of Fish can vary greatly, so it’s natural for the volume to change depending on the mass of the Fish. A 1 kg. Carp, for instance, will weigh roughly half that amount once the head and tail have been removed. Therefore, the following recipe assumes the mass of the usable Fish (without head and tail) to be around 500 grams. Adjust the Aromatics, Chilies, Fresh Aromatics, and Sauces and Seasonings based on this weight. Keep in mind that while it’s possible to over season, it’s rather difficult to add too much Aromatics and Fresh Aromatics. Be willing to adjust the amounts to suit your preferences and experiment.

Prep Time: 45 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 55 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

1 whole Fish (Preferably Somewhat Large; Use White Fish such as Carp, Bass, or Sea Bass; about 1 kg.)

Marinade
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground White Pepper
2 Tbsp. Corn Starch

Aromatics
6 – 10 large cloves of Garlic
1 4-inch block of Ginger

Chilies
8 – 10 Pickled Red Chilies
6 Dried Red Chilies

Fresh Aromatics
6 – 10 Long Green Chilies (二荆条)
1 4-inch block of Young Ginger (仔姜)

2 stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)

200 – 250 grams of Firm Tofu

Peanut Oil

2 – 4 Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste

Sauces and Seasonings
1 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/2 Tbsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder
1/2 tsp. White Sugar

1/4 cup Green Sichuan Peppercorns

Directions

1.) Prepare the Fish, placing the cut pieces of the Body into a large bowl:

• Clean: Scale the Fish thoroughly. Run the knife down the length of the belly, reach inside, and remove the swim bladder along with any organs (optionally, the swim bladder can be set aside, cooked, and eaten in this dish). Also, use your hand to remove the gills from the side of the head. Discard the waste and wash the Fish thoroughly.
• Segment: Divide the Fish into three pieces by cutting off the Tail and the Head. Make the cut for the Head about 2-inches below the now empty gills. Set aside the Tail and Head in a large bowl so that they can be used for making Fish Stock. Place the Body on a cutting board.
• Chop: Cut across the Body, chopping the long cylinder into 2-inch-thick steaks. Add the pieces from the lower half of the Body – the smaller portions – directly to the large bowl. For the upper half of the Body – the larger portions – lay each piece flat on the cutting board and cut them in half lengthwise. Then, add these pieces to the bowl.
• Wash: Fill the bowl with water, massage the pieces of Fish gently, and then drain the water thoroughly.

(The Head and Tail are traditionally cooked with this dish and not set aside. The Head would be cut into 4 pieces and fried along with the Tail and pieces of the Body. Afterwards, all of the pieces would be braised in the Soup. One would need to double the amount of Sauces and Seasonings and use the maximum amount of Aromatics, Chilies, and Fresh Aromatics to accommodate the increase. This variation would naturally require a rather large wok and a giant serving bowl. Since the Head and Tail do not contribute any flavor, I would recommend reserving them for Fish Stock).

2.) Add all of the Marinade ingredients (Rice Wine, Salt, White Pepper, and Corn Starch) to the Fish pieces and toss them together until thoroughly coated. Allow the Fish to marinate while preparing the other ingredients.

3.) Prepare the Aromatics, placing them together in the same bowl:

• Peel and cut the Garlic into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Peel and slice the Ginger 1/4-inch thick.

4) Prepare the Chilies, placing them together in the same bowl:

• Cut the Pickled Red Chilies into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cut the Dried Red Chilies into 1/2-inch pieces.

5.) Prepare the Fresh Aromatics, placing them together in the same bowl:

• Cut the Green Chilies into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Thinly slice the Young Ginger, spread the slices across the cutting board, and thinly slice them into long, thin slivers each no thicker than a matchstick.

6.) Tie the Scallion stalks into a knot and set them aside in their own bowl or on top of the Fresh Aromatics where they can be easily removed later.

7.) Cut the Tofu into large 1-inch cubes and set them aside in their own bowl.

8.) Fill a wok 1/2 full with Peanut Oil and heat on high until nearly smoking. Carefully add the Fish pieces and flash-fry them in the hot Oil for about 20 seconds. Pour the contents of the wok into a wire strainer set over a large pot to quickly strain out the pieces of Fish.

(DO NOT overcook the Fish! The purpose is to fry the surface of the Fish just enough to firm it and remove excess moisture. This flash frying process will help the Fish pieces better retain their shape when braised. If using a homestyle wok or a non-flame source of heat, fry the Fish pieces in two to three batches to avoid overcrowding the wok).

9.) Add about 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil back to the wok and heat it on medium-high until nearly smoking. Pull the wok away from heat, add the Aromatics, and stir-fry them just a few seconds until fragrant.

10.) Add the Chilies and stir-fry everything just a few more seconds. Then, add the Sichuan Chili Bean Paste, return the wok to heat, and stir-fry everything until the Chili Bean Paste emulsifies with the Oil.

11.) Pour in 8 cups of water, increase the heat to high, and add all of the Sauces and Seasonings (Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Salt, Chicken Bouillon, and Sugar). Bring the Soup to a boil for about 2 minutes.

(The water can be combined with Fish Stock for a more viscous texture and a richer flavor, ideally 1 cup of Fish Stock for 7 cups of Water).

12.) Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the Soup at a low boil. Carefully add the Fish pieces along with the cubes of Tofu and gently braise everything for 2.5 minutes.

13.) Add the knot of Scallion stalks, give a light stir, and continue to braise the Fish and Tofu for another 2.5 minutes. Remove the Scallion knot after this time has elapsed.

14.) After a total braising time of 5 minutes for the Fish and Tofu, add the Fresh Aromatics atop the simmering Soup, but do not mix them. Allow them to simmer on the surface for 1 minute.

15.) Ladle the Fish and Tofu into the center of a large serving bowl and carefully pour the hot Soup in around the sides.

(There might be more Soup than what will fit in the bowl, so do not overfill the bowl. There should be about 1-inch or more of space between the surface of the Soup and the lip of the bowl. Any excess Soup can be reserved or discarded).

16.) Place a deep skillet, sauce pan, or clean wok on medium-high heat and add 1 cup of Peanut Oil. Heat the Oil until nearly smoking, pull the wok away from heat, and go quickly to the dish. 16.) Place a deep skillet, sauce pan, or clean wok on medium-high heat and add 1 cup of Peanut Oil. Heat the Oil until nearly smoking, pull the wok away from heat, and go quickly to the dish.

17.) Add the Green Sichuan Peppercorns directly to the hot Oil before pouring the sizzling liquid over the Fish. Serve the delicious Sichuan Pepper Fish immediately along with individual bowls of white rice.

 

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