Sometimes you just want your whole mouth to burn.
For that, there’s Sichuan boiled fish. The bright red liquid the fish is served in is more a cooking oil than a sauce, and the whole dried Sichuan chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns that occupy it are for simultaneously burning and numbing your tongue and lips in the most addictive way.
I may or may not have nibbled on small fresh Thai chili peppers on the side of this…for those who have a desire to push themselves to the point where they can’t feel anything but the pain.
It’s a Bon Appetit recipe, not my own, but I swapped in miso paste for the fermented chili bean paste called doubanjiang and I skipped the gochujang, because they’re Korean and because they usually contain gluten. Yes, I recognize the hypocrisy of using Japanese miso, but the swap wasn’t by choice – when you’re gluten intolerant, there aren’t many Chinese fermented pastes you can have).
Otherwise, I think the recipe was great. And to be honest, by keeping the dried chilies whole and following the quick-cooking recipe instructions correctly, it’s an acceptable level of burn for someone who likes spicy.
Your mouth will either thank me or hate me.
Leave a Reply