Name: Sichuan Boiled Fish
Yield: 8 regular or 16 small servings
Ingredients: 1 large egg white; ¼ cup rice wine; 2 Tbsp. cornstarch; 2 tsp. finely grated peeled ginger; 1 tsp. kosher salt; ½ tsp. freshly ground white pepper (optional); 2 tsp. ground Sichuan peppercorns (from 3 tsp. whole), divided; 1 lb. skinless, boneless white fish fillets (such as cod, flounder, or red snapper); 6 Tbsp. grapeseed or vegetable oil, divided; 3 celery stalks, sliced into 3"-long matchsticks; ½ cup bean sprouts; ⅓ cup dried Sichuan chiles (about 32) or other red Chinese chiles, divided; 7 garlic cloves, 6 smashed, coarsely chopped, 1 finely chopped; 1 3" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced (about 5 slices); 2 tsp. whole Sichuan peppercorns, divided; 3 Tbsp. doubanjiang (Sichuan-style fermented chili bean paste); 2½ cups fish stock, low-sodium chicken broth, or water; 2 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal; 2 sprigs cilantro, sliced into 2" pieces (stems and leaves); 2 tsp. gochugaru (fine Korean red pepper powder); 1 tsp. sesame seeds

Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Lillian Chou, prop styling by Beatrice Chastka

The flavors of this fish are out of control—super spicy, super intense, super delicious. This recipe moves fast, though, so stay on top of it by prepping and lining up your ingredients before you start cooking. This recipe is from Taiwanese-American cook Lisa Cheng Smith’s spectacular Lunar New Year feast. Find the rest of her menu here.

What you’ll need

Fly By Jing Sichuan Peppercorns
$23 At Bon Appétit Market
Carbon Steel Wok
$60 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
$26 At Amazon

Recipe notes