Yangtze carp with Sichuan pepper (花椒江鱼)
A whole carp, gently braised in a broth of ginger, scallion, and fermented black soybeans, electrified by Sichuan pepper that makes the lips tingle.
A whole carp, gently braised in a broth of ginger, scallion, and fermented black soybeans, electrified by Sichuan pepper that makes the lips tingle.
Today fortune smiles on me: a fisherman sold me a carp still alive, silver scales beating the air. I lay it on a bed of ginger, splash it with a little black beans and that pepper from our homeland that numbs the tongue and wakes it all at once. You see, in Chengdu I learned that a modest table becomes a banquet as soon as a river fish swims in its fragrance. So drink a cup with me while it steams.
- •River carp (鲤鱼) — one, gutted (centerpiece)
- •Sichuan pepper (花椒) — a good pinch (numbing signature)
- •Fermented black soybeans (豆豉) — a spoonful (salty umami)
- •Fresh ginger — a few slices (aromatic)
- •Scallion (葱) — a few stalks (freshness)
- •Millet wine — a splash (deglazing)
Yangtze carp with Sichuan pepper (花椒江鱼)
A whole carp, gently braised in a broth of ginger, scallion, and fermented black soybeans, electrified by Sichuan pepper that makes the lips tingle.
Why this dish? Du Fu lived along the water—the Yangtze River, Lake Dongting, the Three Gorges. "A little river fish," say the chronicles: in good times, a fresh carp, elevated by the numbing pepper of Chengdu, turned his humble table into a banquet.
Today fortune smiles on me: a fisherman sold me a carp still alive, silver scales beating the air. I lay it on a bed of ginger, splash it with a little black beans and that pepper from our homeland that numbs the tongue and wakes it all at once. You see, in Chengdu I learned that a modest table becomes a banquet as soon as a river fish swims in its fragrance. So drink a cup with me while it steams.
Ingredients (period version)
- River carp (鲤鱼) — one, gutted (centerpiece)
- Sichuan pepper (花椒) — a good pinch (numbing signature)
- Fermented black soybeans (豆豉) — a spoonful (salty umami)
- Fresh ginger — a few slices (aromatic)
- Scallion (葱) — a few stalks (freshness)
- Millet wine — a splash (deglazing)
Ingredients
- Whole carp, tilapia, or sea bream — 1 (600–800 g) (centerpiece)
- Sichuan peppercorns — 1 tsp (signature)
- Fermented black soybeans (douchi) — 1 tbsp (umami)
- Fresh ginger — 4 slices (aromatic)
- Scallions — 3, sliced (freshness)
- Rice wine (Shaoxing) — 3 tbsp (deglazing)
- Light soy sauce — 1 tbsp (seasoning)
- Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp (searing)
Method
- Score the fish with three slashes on each side; pat dry.
- Dry-roast Sichuan peppercorns for 30 seconds until fragrant; set aside.
- Sear the fish in hot oil with ginger, 2 minutes per side.
- Add crushed black beans, rice wine, soy sauce, and half a cup of water.
- Cover and simmer for 8–10 minutes, basting the fish with the broth.
- Sprinkle with roasted Sichuan pepper and scallions; serve immediately.
How it was made : Under the Tang, river fish was often eaten raw and sliced (脍, kuài), but also braised or steamed for hot meals. Fermented black soybeans (豆豉) are an ancient umami condiment, and Sichuan pepper perfumed the cuisine of the Red Basin long before the arrival of American chili peppers.
The contemporary twist : Present the carp on a long slate, glazed with its shiny broth and a shower of freshly cracked pepper: a "málà" before chili, elegant and historic.
Sources : Françoise Sabban & Silvano Serventi, history of Chinese food · Culinary tradition of pre-Columbian Sichuan (Sichuan pepper 花椒)
Du Fu · Charactorium