Lucky’s Chili and Garlic Fish

This is such a amazing dish. It has all the spiciness of Sichuan cooking, with that sweet and sour undertone that I really enjoy.

The story behind it is that we had a wonderful Sichuan restaurant near my old office in City of Industry, California called Lucky Dragon aka Lucky’s. We probably ate this fish accompanied with dry sautéed string beans and ma po tofu at least three times a week.

To make it simpler to prepare, I’ve divided the ingredients into stages. Additionally, any of these ingredients can easily be found at your local Asian or Korean markets. Once you buy them, they last forever in your pantry, so you will be able to prepare many meals from just one buying trip.

In Asian cuisine, the prep time is important, as the cooking time is minimal. You want everything within reach. Try to give the fish at least an hour with the glaze to soak up the flavors.

Note: This could easily be made as a vegetarian/vegan dish by substituting extra firm tofu slices for the fish.

Step One, Fish

3/4 to 1 lb flaky white Fish, like Cod, cut into 4 manageable pieces.

1 Tbsp Hot Bean Paste

1 Tbsp Shaohsing Wine

Prep the fish by mixing the wine and hot bean paste together and brush it over the fish and into the fridge.

Step Two, Sauce

2 Tbsp Hot Bean Paste

1 Tbsp low sodium Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Shaohsing Cooking Wine

1 Tbsp Chinkiang or Rice Vinegar

1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorn, ground.

2 tsp Sugar

2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil

Mix all sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

Step Three, Stir Fry Ingredients

3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

4 cloves Garlic, minced

2 inch Piece fresh Ginger, minced

5-6 dried Whole Chilies

1/2 Red Pepper, chopped

3 Green Onions, chopped

Chop your vegetables and use a mini blender to mince the garlic and ginger. If you don\’t have a mini blender, this can also be done by hand.

Step Four, Slurry

2 Tbsp Water and 1 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed together. Set aside to be used to finish the dish.

Heat oil in your sauté pan or wok. Add the garlic, ginger and while chilies and sauté until just slightly golden. Add your red pepper and scallions and sauté for 2 minutes.