Skip to main content

Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chili (Duòjiāo Yútóu)

 A bold, spicy dish from Hunan province, featuring a tender split fish head smothered in fermented chopped chili, steamed to perfection.


 Ingredients

Main:

  • 1 large freshwater fish head (typically carp or bighead carp), around 800g–1kg

  • 3 tablespoons duojiao (fermented chopped red chili, available at Asian markets)

  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic

  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger

  • 2 stalks green onion (separate white and green parts)

  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon cooking wine (Shaoxing wine)

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Garnish:

  • Chopped green onion (green part)

  • Fresh red chili slices (optional)

  • Hot oil (for finishing drizzle)

🔪 Preparation

1. Prepare the Fish Head

  • Clean the fish head thoroughly, remove gills and any blood clots.

  • Split the fish head down the middle from the mouth, keeping the back connected.

  • Pat dry and rub both sides with a little salt and cooking wine. Let marinate for 10–15 minutes.

2. Prepare the Chili Mixture

  • In a small bowl, mix chopped chili (duojiao), minced garlic, minced ginger, and the white part of green onions.

  • Add a splash of soy sauce and stir well to create the topping.

3. Assemble in Steamer Plate

  • Place the fish head open-side down (butterflied) on a heatproof plate.

  • Spread the chili mixture evenly over the fish head, covering it completely.

  • Pour a small amount of light soy sauce around the plate (not over the chili).

4. Steam

  • Bring water in a steamer to a boil.

  • Place the plate into the steamer and steam over high heat for 8–12 minutes, depending on the size of the fish head.

  • Do not over-steam to avoid drying out the fish.

5. Finish with Hot Oil

  • Remove the plate from the steamer.

  • Sprinkle chopped green onion and optional chili slices on top.

  • Heat a spoonful of oil in a small pan until smoking hot, then carefully drizzle over the fish to release aroma and sizzle.

6. Serve

  • Serve hot with steamed rice or plain noodles. The spicy, savory sauce is perfect for soaking into rice!

🔥 Tips

  • Duojiao (fermented chopped chili) is essential for authenticity; Lao Gan Ma brand or homemade can be used.

  • You can also add a few slices of tofu underneath the fish head to steam together.

  • This dish pairs best with mild sides, as it's very bold and spicy.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“China’s No.1 Hearty Dish: Hong Shao Rou (Braised Pork Belly)”

In China, one of the most common and beloved dishes on the family dining table is braised pork belly (hong shao rou). However, the preparation of this dish varies between the northern and southern regions of China. Today, we’re sharing the Southern-style method of making braised pork belly. Here’s what it looks like when it’s done: 🍲 Ingredients: Pork belly (three parts lean to three parts fat, preferably with skin) Light soy sauce – to taste Dark soy sauce – to taste Yellow or aged rock sugar – a small handful Huangjiu (Chinese cooking wine) – to taste Salt – to taste Chicken bouillon powder – to taste (optional) Beer – one can Spring onion segments, star anise (1 piece) – to taste Ginger slices, bay leaves (3–4 leaves) – to taste 👨‍🍳 Instructions: Blanch the pork: Cut pork belly into evenly sized small cubes. Blanch in boiling water for 10 minutes to remove impurities and some excess fat. Drain and set aside. Render and caramelize: ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Delicious Garlic Fried Spare Ribs

  Chinese Deep Fried Series  Garlic Fried Spare Ribs is a home-style dish made from pork spare ribs, marinated in garlic and deep-fried twice, featuring a crispy exterior and tender interior, with a strong garlic flavour. Time: about 20-25 minutes  Difficulty: zero cookery Ingredients ： Marinated Spare Ribs  Spare Ribs      400g  Soy Sauce      10g  Wine              10g  Pepper Salt    10g  Black Pepper  1g  Salt                 1g  Garlic Batter  Plain Flour (Medium Gluten)    50g  Eggs                      2  Garlic                    30g  Salt                       1g  Fresh Water          ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A particularly simple Chinese cold dish

Some people say that Chinese people are not of high quality, this I admit. But some people say that Chinese food is not good, this I disagree. Chinese people still have their own way of doing things when it comes to food. We can use very simple ingredients to make very tasty food. For example, you can make a simple but very tasty cold dish with spring onions and tofu. Ingredients for tofu with spring onions: Tofu 1 piece of small onion moderate amount Salt moderate amount Sesame sesame oil moderate amount (about 5g) Method: 1: Wash the tofu; small onions, wash and drain; 2: tofu into a bowl, crushed with a spoon, there are small cubes does not matter, eat better texture; 3: small onion minced, about 5 mm wide; 4: small onions into the tofu, according to taste sprinkle a little salt; 5: and then drizzle a little sesame sesame oil, sesame sesame sesame oil is the finishing touch to this dish, do not add on the bland and tasteless; mix well. Warm tips: this dish for the wine dishes. With ...
Post a Comment
Read more