Hunan Chopped Pepper Fish
Tender white fish topped with a fiery Hunan sauce of chopped chili peppers, garlic, and fermented black beans. Steamed until perfectly cooked, then finished with a drizzle of sesame oil for a dish that's bold, aromatic, and restaurant-quality.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 218
- Protein
- 32g
Ingredients
- 1 lb White fish fillets (cod, halibut, or sea bass)
- 3 whole Fresh red chili peppers
- 2 whole Fresh green chili peppers
- 4 whole Garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons Fermented black beans (douchi)
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
- 2 whole Scallions
Instructions
- 1
Place a bamboo steamer basket on top of a 12-inch skillet or wok filled with 1 inch of water, ensuring the basket sits above the water line without touching it.
- 2
Turn the heat to high and wait until you see steam rising steadily from underneath the basket, about 3 minutes, so the fish will cook evenly.
- 3
Remove the stem and seeds from each red and green chili by holding it stem-end up and making a circular cut around the stem to pop it out, then shake out the seeds into the trash.
- 4
Lay one chili flat on the cutting board and slice it lengthwise into very thin strips about the thickness of a toothpick, working from stem to tip, then stack those strips and chop them crosswise into tiny pea-sized pieces.
- 5
Repeat step 4 with the remaining chili peppers until all are chopped into small pieces.
- 6
Peel the garlic cloves by laying one on the cutting board and pressing the flat side of a knife down on it with the heel of your hand until the skin cracks, then remove the papery skin and discard.
- 7
Mince the peeled garlic by rocking a knife blade back and forth over the cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 8
Rinse the fermented black beans in a small bowl under cool running water for 10 seconds, then drain them in a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently with your fingers to remove excess water.
- 9
Pat the fish fillets dry on both sides with paper towels, removing as much moisture as you can so they steam properly without sticking.
- 10
Slice the scallions by cutting off and discarding the root end, then slicing the white and light-green portions crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings; set aside the dark green tops separately.
- 11
Arrange the fish fillets skin-side down in a single layer on a piece of parchment paper slightly smaller than the steamer basket.
- 12
Slide the parchment paper with the fish onto the hot steamer basket, being careful not to touch the steam rising from below.
- 13
Cover the steamer with its lid and steam over high heat until the thickest part of the fish is opaque white throughout and flakes apart easily when you press a fork into it, about 8 minutes.
- 14
While the fish steams, combine the chopped red and green chilies, minced garlic, drained fermented black beans, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, stirring until everything is evenly mixed.
- 15
Carefully lift the parchment paper with the cooked fish out of the steamer basket using tongs and slide it onto a serving plate.
- 16
Spoon the chili-garlic-pepper mixture evenly over the top of each fish fillet, making sure to distribute the chopped peppers, garlic, and black beans across the entire surface.
- 17
Drizzle the sesame oil in a thin stream over the top of the peppered fish, using about 1 teaspoon per fillet.
- 18
Scatter the reserved dark green scallion tops and the sliced white scallion rings in a small mound over the center of each fillet.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet or wok
- bamboo steamer basket
- parchment paper
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- small bowl
- fine-mesh strainer
- paper towels
- fork
- wooden spoon
- tongs
- serving plate
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