Lately I have been exploring Asian cuisine with the help of a friendly expert who provided this recipe! This is a great dish with a completely different flavor profile from what I typically cook. It is pretty simple but it will require a trip to an Asian market for a couple ingredients. Try pairing the Szechuan Spicy Fish with a Carmel Road Riesling.
Szechuan Spicy Fish
For the Fish:
- 2 fillets of cat fish, about 1 lb., cut into slices
- 1 small Napa cabbage, cut into pieces
For the marinade:
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp Shaoshing wine or any cooking wine
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 10 dried red chili peppers (more if you like it spicy)
- *2-3 tsp Sichuan peppercorn
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- *1.5 tbsp spicy bean paste
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
*Available at Asian market
Season and marinade fish with cornstarch, salt, white pepper and cooking wine for 15 to 20 minutes.
Boil the cabbage for about 3 minutes, or until soft, then drain and put in the serving bowl.
Heat oil on medium heat. Sauté chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorns for about 1 minute until they are brown. Add garlic and sauté about 1 minute. Add spicy bean paste and sugar and sauté for 1 minute (smells wonderful… but you may choke!). Add a bit more oil if it is too dry. Turn the heat to high and add chicken stock and water. Mix well. When mixture boils, place fish piece by piece into the pan. Let it cook for about 3 minutes or until cooked. Place fish on top of the cabbage and pour the rest of the sauce on top. Garnish with cilantro. You may add some chili oil too at the end if you want more heat.