Homemade Eel

Homemade Eel

　　The eel is deboned and the head and tail are removed, then washed to remove blood residue. It is cut into small pieces with a knife, then stir-fried over high heat in hot oil until the moisture is driven out. It is then sautéed with dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, black pepper, and Pixian bean paste before broth is added, and the dish is simmered over medium heat until done. The finished dish has a bright red color, tender eel, a rich and savory taste, and a strong local home-style flavor.

Ingredients

750g eel, 50g celery yellow, 100g single garlic, 7.5g dried chili peppers, more than 10 Sichuan peppercorns, 10g old ginger, 25g scallions, 15g fermented glutinous rice wine, 1.5g ground pepper, 1g Sichuan salt, 15g pickled chili peppers, 15g soy sauce, a little vinegar, 15g Pixian bean paste, 250g fresh broth, 1g chopped Sichuan peppercorns, 100g vegetable oil

Cooking Method

1. Gut the eel, remove the head and tail, wash to remove blood residue, and cut into 5cm sections. Peel the single garlic, wash the celery and cut into 3.5cm sections, peel and chop the old ginger, and finely chop the scallions. Finely mash the bean paste.

2. Place a wok over high heat, add the vegetable oil and heat until it reaches 70–80% heat. Add the dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns and fry until fragrant. Immediately add the eel and stir-fry until the skin of the eel begins to blister. Then add the bean paste, pickled chili peppers, and minced ginger, and stir-fry until the color turns red and the aroma develops. Add the fermented glutinous rice wine and fresh broth, then add the single garlic, Sichuan salt, ground pepper, and soy sauce. Simmer until the eel becomes tender and the sauce thickens. Add the celery yellow, a bit of wet starch, and MSG to thicken the sauce. Dish out and place in a serving plate, sprinkle with chopped Sichuan peppercorns and scallion petals to serve.