Grilled Fish

Ingredients

• Grass carp (Purchase from market or supermarket and let staff debone/remove visceral organs for you)
• Large green onions
• Cooking wine
• White pepper powder
• Edible salt
• Garlic
• Cinnamon stick
• Star anise
• Bay leaves
• Green Sichuan peppercorns
• Chopped dried chilies
• Lantern peppers
• Hot pot base (optional)
• Qianzhang (Tofu puffs xiegu)
• Mung bean sprouts
• Onion
• Broad bean paste (Doubanjiang)
• Celery, cut into segments
• Roasted peanuts
• White sesame seeds
• Coriander (Parsley) (Tastes better with it, optional based on personal preference)

Steps

1. Cut open the grass carp (usually around 3 jin) from the back. Cut several slashes along the back of the fish on both sides. Do not cut into the fish belly, as this makes it difficult to maintain its shape.
2. Use hot water to rinse off the mucus from the fish body, or use a brush to scrub under a running tap continuously until it feels smooth and not sticky.
3. Place the fish in a container, add cooking wine, 10g white pepper powder, and 5g salt. Rub evenly and marinate for 20 minutes to infuse flavor.
4. Cut half a large green onion into chunks. Halve the garlic cloves and place them in a container along with the star anise and bay leaves.
5. Halve the chopped dried chilies and place them in a container along with the lantern peppers.
6. Cut the celery into small segments.
7. Blanch the bean sprouts.
8. Blanch the qianzhang and cut it into shreds.
9. Cut the onion into shreds.
10. Start grilling the fish.
11. If you have an oven, brush oil on the baking sheet and place the fish, skin side down. Bake until both sides are golden, then sprinkle with cumin powder.
12. If you don't have an oven, use a hot wok with hot oil. Sprinkle 2g salt on both sides of the wok, then add the grass carp to fry. Do not rush to turn it over when first added. Wait until one side has set before flipping. Fry both sides until golden, sprinkle with cumin powder, and serve on a plate to set aside.
13. Sprinkle 20ml cooking oil in the pot. Once the oil is hot, stir-fry the chopped green onion, garlic, star anise, and bay leaves until fragrant.
14. Add half a packet of hot pot base and 15-20g of broad bean paste. Stir-fry until red oil is rendered.
15. Add 5g white sugar, 10g salt, and 5ml light soy sauce to season. Pour in enough water to reach the level of the ingredients. Bring to a boil.
16. Add celery segments, bean sprouts, and qianzhang shreds in order. Do not need to cook them through, just blanch slightly. Place the onion shreds on top, then place the grilled fish on top.
17. Add dried chilies, lantern peppers, and green Sichuan peppercorns.
18. Burn oil in another pot. Pour the hot oil over the just-added chilies to ignite the aroma.
19. Finally, sprinkle with roasted peanuts, chopped onions, white sesame seeds, and coriander.
20. Simmer for 5-6 minutes. Deliciousness is complete.