Fish Slices in Sichuan Hot Chile Broth

Chefs Hu Guoguang and Pan Yewen
North Garden Restaurant

Dried chiles and Sichuan wild pepper are used to flavour this dish, but can be removed before eating.

Ingredients
1 lb pickerel fillet
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2 tsp potato starch
1 egg white
2 tsp yellow rice wine
2 tsp + 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 lb soybean sprouts
½ tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp ginger, sliced
2 tsp Sichuan chile and bean paste
2 tsp chili sauce
1 tsp wild pepper
2 tsp dry whole chile peppers
2 cups fish or chicken broth
1 tsp soy sauce
2 stalks green onion, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

Method

1. Cut fillets into 1/2 cm slices and combine with salt, pepper, egg white, potato starch, and wine. Add 2 tsp vegetable oil to the fish slices, mix gently, and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Boil salted water. Submerge the bean sprouts, cooking until the water returns to a boil. Place bean sprouts in a serving bowl.
3. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a wok or saucepan. Add minced garlic, ginger slices, chile paste, chile sauce, wild pepper, and dry whole chile peppers. Stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add cooking wine and broth. Bring to a boil.
4. Add soy sauce and salt, to taste, then add fish slices. Cook fish for 10 seconds, add green onion, and immediately pour mixture into the bowl with the bean sprouts. The heat from the broth will continue to cook the fish.

Yield 4 servings