Catfish A La Sichuan

• 11/2 pounds fillets of catfish, or other white fish
• 1 cup Shaoxing wine or sake
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and julienned
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Chinese chili bean paste or Sriracha
• 5 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
• 1 head Napa cabbage, cored and roughly chopped into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/4 cup pickled chilies, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup pickling brine, from pickled chilies or other pickle jar
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns or black peppercorns, toasted and coarsely smashed
• 1/2 cup chile de arbol, or other whole dried chili
• 1 cup cilantro leaves

1. 1. Fill a Dutch oven with 1 inch water. Set over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer and lay in steamer.
2. 2. In a bowl, season fish with Shaoxing wine, ginger and 2 tablespoons fish sauce. Place fish in steamer and pour marinade over fish. Steam until fish is just tender and flakes easily, about 5 minutes. Remove fish from steamer and set aside.
3. 3. Meanwhile, make broth: Swirl 2 tablespoons oil into a deep pot set over high heat. Add sugar and stir until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add chili bean paste, stock, white peppercorns and cabbage. Cover and boil until cabbage is wilted, 5-7 minutes. Continue to cook, uncovered, at a rapid boil until liquid is reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. At the end, add chilies, brine, vinegar, remaining fish sauce and soy sauce. Simmer 1 minute more and turn off heat. Cover with lid to keep hot while preparing oil.
4. 4. In a small pot, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, after 1 minute, add Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies. Continue to heat oil until aromatic and popping but not burned, 1-2 minutes.
5. 5. Nestle fish into pot containing cabbage and broth. Pour hot oil and spices over top. Note: This will cause sputtering, so take care. Quickly distribute broth, fish and cabbage among four plates. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

catfish, shaoxing wine, ginger, fish sauce, grapeseed oil, ubc, chinese chili bean paste, chicken, whole white peppercorns, cabbage, ubc, ubc, rice vinegar, soy sauce, black peppercorns, chile de uerbol, cilantro

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/catfish-a-la-sichuan-51767101 (may not work)