This is a particular Sichuan Cuisine sometimes could be more spicy than hot pot. In Sichuan, restaurants make this dish as a kind of dry hot pot that after you enjoyed the fish, you can always add water into the pot and turn on the fire and add any food you like, making it same as the hot pot.

The freshwater fish is used normally for this dish, such as barramundi, carp, bass, or tilapia. I used the white today because I get it in my fridge. My dad would say it’s not the best choice, but I didn’t see any differences in flavor haha…Also, use the whole fish would be a better idea purely as it looks good 😉

I add corianders in this recipe, but not many people accept the strong aroma of coriander, so it’s absolutely optional and you can use spring onions as an alternative. Fried peanuts are also needed to provide a fresh aroma for this dish. I prefer to fry a tin of peanuts and store into a air-tight container so that every time when I need it, I don’t need to spend time preparing the fried peanuts (which is time consuming I think). And it’s better to use the skin-on peanuts as it is fresher and more crunchy.

For the sauce, two major pastes were used. The Sichuan soy bean paste and the xo chili sauce. Both of them can be brought at the Asian grocery shop. In China, there is a specific xo chili sauce which is nationally popular for about 20 years already, and it can also be brought at most Asian grocery shops worldwide. Try this one, I strongly recommended.

For the vegetables, it’s optional. I used potatoes and carrots. Feel free to use other vegetables based on your own preferences. 

Grilled chili fish

Serve for 2

Ingredients:

• Fish – normally 1 barramundi is suitable for serving 2
• Vegetables – cut into medium sized chunks
• 2 tbs fried peanuts
• 20g – 30g Spring onion chunks
• 20g – 30g coriander minces
• 20g garlic minces
• 10 dry chili (cut into small chunks)
• 2 tsp Sichuan soy bean paste
• 2 tsp xo chili sauce
• 4g sugar
• Salt as needed
• 250ml water

Instructions:

1. Heat some oil in the pan, fry the fish until light brown and set side
2. Reheat the pan, add all the vegetables and fry until fully cooked
3. Evenly put the cooked vegetables in the serving pan, and gently add fried fish on top and scatter spring onion chunks, fried peanuts and coriander minces on the top of the fish, then set aside
4. Clean the pan and reheat it, add some cook oil, and add dry chili chunks and garlic minces, fry until the aroma comes out
5. Add the Sichuan soy bean sauce and the xo chili sauce, mix together
6. Add sugar, salt (to taste) and water, turn to high heat until the mixture gets boiled
7. Turn off the fire, and pour the mixture into the serving pan. Topping with some additional spring onion chunks and coriander minces.