Melting fish fillets swimming in a bright red broth, enhanced by smoking hot oil poured over crisp chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. A Sichuan classic that plays on ma (numbing) and la (hot).
Ingredients
- 600 g Sea bass fillet (boneless, skin on)
- 250 g Fresh bean sprouts
- 3 tbsp Fermented chili bean paste (Pixian doubanjiang)
- 30 g Dried Sichuan chilies (facing heaven)
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 4 cloves Fresh garlic
- 20 g Fresh ginger
- 3 pieces Scallion
- 1 bunch Fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing)
- 1 piece Egg white
- 2 tbsp Potato starch
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 pinch Brown sugar
- to taste Fine sea salt
- 150 ml Neutral vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)
- 500 ml Chicken broth
Method
- Slice the fish fillets into strips about two fingers wide. Place them in a bowl, add the egg white and starch marinade, and massage gently to coat each piece thoroughly. Refrigerate while you prepare the garnish.
- Finely chop the garlic and ginger. Separate the scallion whites and greens, and cut into sections. Pick the cilantro leaves and set aside. Cut the dried chilies in half lengthwise and seed them to reduce the bitterness.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the bean sprouts with a pinch of salt for a few minutes until they release their water and remain crisp. Spread them at the bottom of a large deep serving bowl.
- In the same wok, add a little oil and sauté the doubanjiang paste over medium heat, pressing it with the back of the spoon until the oil turns red. Add the chopped garlic, ginger, and scallion whites, and sauté until the aroma rises.
- Pour the chicken broth into the wok, add the light soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Gently plunge the marinated fillets one by one into the broth. Do not stir. Simmer gently until the fish turns white and floats to the surface, a sign that it is cooked and meltingly tender.
- Carefully pour the contents of the wok (fish and broth) over the bean sprouts in the serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with the sliced dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, remaining chopped garlic, and scallion greens.
- In a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil until it just begins to smoke. Immediately and carefully pour the smoking hot oil over the spices placed on the fish: an intense sizzling should be heard and a roasted aroma should be released.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve immediately, very hot, with plain white rice.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 483.4 kcal
- Protein
- 10.81 g
- Carbohydrate
- 17.47 g
- Fat
- 42.38 g
- Fibre
- 4.55 g
- Calcium
- 4.42 mg
- Iron
- 0.28 mg
- Magnesium
- 8.02 mg
