Sichuan Poached Fish in Fiery Chili Broth with Numbing Peppercorns

What you need

• 500 g (1.1 lb) firm white fish fillets, tilapia, catfish or grass carp, skinned
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 200 g (7 oz) bean sprouts
• 2 stalks celery, sliced on the diagonal
• 155 ml (2/3 cup) neutral oil, divided: 30 ml, 45 ml and 80 ml
• 3 tbsp doubanjiang, Pixian chili bean paste
• 20 g ginger, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 2 stalks scallions, whites in 3 cm pieces, greens thinly sliced
• 600 ml (2.5 cups) water
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 12 dried red chilies, snipped in half, seeds shaken out
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Slice the fish across the grain into pieces about 0.5 cm (1/4 in) thick.

2. 2

   Mix the fish gently with the egg white, Shaoxing wine, white pepper and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Stir in the cornstarch and leave for 10-15 min.

3. 3

   Heat 30 ml of the oil in a wok over low heat. Fry the chilies and peppercorns until the chilies turn deep reddish-brown, 1-2 min. Do not let them blacken. Tip them onto a board and chop roughly.

4. 4

   Turn the heat to high and stir-fry the celery and bean sprouts with a pinch of the remaining salt for 1 min, until just softened. Move them to a large serving bowl.

5. 5

   Wipe out the wok and heat 45 ml of oil over medium heat. Fry the doubanjiang, stirring, until the oil turns red and smells rich, about 1 min.

6. 6

   Add the ginger, garlic and scallion whites and stir for 30 seconds.

7. 7

   Pour in the water and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 min, then season with the rest of the salt.

8. 8

   Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and slide in the fish slices one at a time so they do not clump. Poach for 1-2 min until opaque and cooked through. Stir very gently, if at all.

9. 9

   Pour the fish and broth over the vegetables in the bowl, laying the slices on top.

10. 10

    Scatter the chopped chilies, peppercorns and scallion greens over the fish.

11. 11

    Heat the remaining 80 ml of oil in a small pan until it shimmers and just begins to smoke. Pour it over the chilies so everything sizzles, then serve at once.

Imported from cookcoda.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.