Recipe: Steamed Halibut with Pickled Chili Peppers

This recipe works with any type of fresh oily fish with a fatty texture, such as sea bass, black cod, and halibut.

Pickled Chili Peppers (Hunan Style)

Ingredients:

• Fresh red hot chili peppers (pick the type based on your preferred spice tolerance)
• Ginger, minced
• Garlic, minced
• Salt to taste
• Chinese cooking wine

Instructions:

1. Wash the fresh chili peppers and dry thoroughly.
2. Mince the chili peppers, discard the stems.
3. Put the minced chili peppers and garlic in a large bowl, season with salt and cooking wine. Mix until the ingredients are well-combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into a sterilize clamp-lid or pickling jar.
5. Store the jar in a dark, dry and cool place for a week.

Steamed Halibut

Ingredients:

• Fresh halibut steak or filet
• Ginger, shreded
• Scallions, shreded
• 1-2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1-2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
• White pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• Pickled chili peppers, optional (see recipe above)
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil, optional
• 6-12 pieces Szechuan Peppercorn, optional
• 1 cluster of Shimeji  mushrooms, optional
• Cilantro, optional

Instructions:

1. Rinse the fish and dry thoroughly. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Layer the bottom of a large plate – that can fit into a steamer – with 3/4 of mushrooms and 1/2 of the scallions and ginger slices.
3. Put the fish on top and decorate the top with pickled chili peppers, the rest of mushrooms and ginger slices.
4. Sprinkle soy sauce and cooking wine evenly across the fish.
5. Insert the plate in a steamer. Let it come to a boil and steam for 5-6 minutes.
6. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium high.
7. Add a handful of Szechuan peppercorn and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
8. When the fish is ready, sprinkle the rest of the scallions across the top and immediately pour the Szechuan peppercorn oil on top and let it sizzle.
9. Decorate the plate with Cilantro.