This delicious dish brings together the rich umami of Pixian doubanjiang with the fiery heat of dried chili peppers and sweet spice from dried Sichuan peppercorns creating a uniquely mala flavor that is both bold and comforting. You will enjoy tender snakehead fish alongside crisp celtuce and chewy tofu skin for wonderful textural contrasts. It […]
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Snakehead fish | 1 as needed |
| Dried chili peppers | 50 as needed |
| Dried Sichuan peppercorns | 50 as needed |
| Celtuce | 1 as needed |
| Tofu skin (yuba) | 1 as needed |
| Pixian doubanjiang, scallions, ginger, garlic | as needed |

Fillet the snakehead fish. Marinate the fish fillets and fish bones separately with salt, cornstarch, scallion-ginger water, and white pepper for 30 minutes.

Cut the dried chili peppers into segments and stir-fry together with the Sichuan peppercorns in oil until fragrant. Remove from wok and set aside.

Let the fried chili peppers and peppercorns from step 2 cool on a cutting board, then press and crush into a coarse powder. Alternatively, pulse in a blender or spice grinder.

Stir-fry or blanch the side vegetables until cooked, then spread them at the bottom of the serving vessel.

Heat oil in a wok. Add ginger, garlic, about two-thirds of the chili-peppercorn powder from step 3, and Pixian doubanjiang. Stir-fry until fragrant, then add salt, soy sauce, and water. Bring to a boil. Add the fish head and bones; cook for 2 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Remove the head and bones and place on top of the vegetables from step 4. Add the fish fillets to the boiling broth; once it returns to a boil, cook for about 1 minute, then pour everything into the serving vessel.

Top the fish with minced garlic, chopped scallions, and the remaining chili-peppercorn powder from step 3. Heat a generous amount of oil until smoking hot, then pour it over the fish to sizzle and release the aromas of the scallions and garlic. Serve immediately.
This delicious dish brings together the rich umami of Pixian doubanjiang with the fiery heat of dried chili peppers and sweet spice from dried Sichuan peppercorns creating a uniquely mala flavor that is both bold and comforting. You will enjoy tender snakehead fish alongside crisp celtuce and chewy tofu skin for wonderful textural contrasts. It […]
Fillet the snakehead fish. Marinate the fish fillets and fish bones separately with salt, cornstarch, scallion-ginger water, and white pepper for 30 minutes.
Cut the dried chili peppers into segments and stir-fry together with the Sichuan peppercorns in oil until fragrant. Remove from wok and set aside.
Let the fried chili peppers and peppercorns from step 2 cool on a cutting board, then press and crush into a coarse powder. Alternatively, pulse in a blender or spice grinder.
Stir-fry or blanch the side vegetables until cooked, then spread them at the bottom of the serving vessel.
Heat oil in a wok. Add ginger, garlic, about two-thirds of the chili-peppercorn powder from step 3, and Pixian doubanjiang. Stir-fry until fragrant, then add salt, soy sauce, and water. Bring to a boil. Add the fish head and bones; cook for 2 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Remove the head and bones and place on top of the vegetables from step 4. Add the fish fillets to the boiling broth; once it returns to a boil, cook for about 1 minute, then pour everything into the serving vessel.
Top the fish with minced garlic, chopped scallions, and the remaining chili-peppercorn powder from step 3. Heat a generous amount of oil until smoking hot, then pour it over the fish to sizzle and release the aromas of the scallions and garlic. Serve immediately.