Garlic Braised Eel Segments
A beloved classic of traditional Sichuan home cooking, this dish features a glossy, bright sauce and oil in its finished form. The eel pieces are tender and crisp-tender, with a fresh, fragrant flavor and a subtle numbing-spicy kick.
Ingredients
Cleaned eel slices (head and tail removed, cut into 6cm long segments)
400 g
Shaoxing wine (added midway)
25 g
Cleaned whole garlic cloves (fried in 70% heat oil until skin puffs, set aside)
150 g
Pixian bean paste (finely chopped)
30 g
Sichuan salt (added midway)
2 g
Sichuan peppercorn powder (sprinkled on after plating)
2 g
Soy sauce
20 g
Wet starch slurry (added for thickening)
12 g
Black pepper powder
1 g
Sesame oil (added)
20 g
MSG (added)
2 g
Refined vegetable oil (for stir-frying eel)
150 g
Meat broth (added)
300 g
Instructions
1
Ingredient Preparation
Wash the eel slices, remove the head and tail, and cut into 6cm long segments; finely chop the Pixian bean paste; fry the whole garlic cloves in oil heated to 70% heat until the skin puffs, then set aside.
2
Braising and Finishing
Heat a wok over high heat, add the refined vegetable oil and heat to 70% heat. Add the eel segments and fry until they curl and become tender and crisp, adding Sichuan salt and Shaoxing wine halfway through. Add the finely chopped Pixian bean paste and stir-fry with the eel segments until the oil turns red. Pour in the meat broth, then add soy sauce, black pepper powder, and the pre-fried garlic cloves. Reduce heat to low and braise until the garlic cloves are fully tender and the eel segments are soft. Return the wok to high heat, add MSG and sesame oil, stir in the wet starch slurry to thicken the sauce. When the sauce is thick and glossy, transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorn powder before serving.
