Steamed Fish Head with Chop Bell Pepper

Introduction

Steamed Fish Head with Chop Bell Pepper (Simplified Chinese: 剁椒鱼头; Traditional Chinese: 剁椒魚頭; Pinyin: Duo Jiao Yu Tou;). The fish head casserole is one of the most famous and popular dish in Hu’nan cuisine. Its main ingredient is the bighead carp, seasoned with the local special, chop peppers. This dish is easy to cook but very tasty. The fish head casserole is focusing on its spiciness, and taste a bit salty, but the texture of the fish head is tender, and when the spiciness mixes with the fresh taste of fish, the dish is really enjoyable.

Origin

Legend has that the fish head casserole is invented by an ancient mathematician named Huang Zongxian in Qing Dynasty. One day Huang was staying in a peasant's house when passing by a small village in Hunan. His host had just returned from a fishing trip, so the hostess boiled a fish in plain water with salt and chopped pepper to serve him as dinner, which turned out to be quite delicious. After Huang returned home, he improved the cooking method that latter became the origin of this famous dish.

Recipe

Though the fish head casserole tastes awesome, it is unbelievably easy to cook. Even those who have never hold a knife can learn this dish easily, for it can be concluded to 3 simple steps: marinate, steam and scald with boiling oil.

Ingredient

Bighead carp	head
Chopped chili pepper sauce	7 oz
Garlic sprouts	1 stk
Chives	1 stk
Garlic	1 skt
Ginger	1 stk
Cooking wine	1 teaspoon
Vinegar	1 teaspoon
Bean sauce	2 teaspoon

Directions

1. Clean the fish head; marinate briefly with cooking wine, salt, and a little vinegar.
2. Spread chopped chili (剁椒) with garlic and ginger over the fish; add a little bean sauce if using.
3. Steam over high heat until the fish is just cooked through (often about 10–15 minutes depending on size).
4. Optional finishing: pour a spoon of hot oil over scallion/garlic garnish for aroma. Serve immediately.

See also

• Hunan Food
• Types Of Taste
• Anhui Food