Dry-Fried Eel Slices
Dry-Fried Eel Slices is a classic Sichuan dish. The eel is tender, dry-fried until crispy outside and tender inside, with numbing spicy flavor and wok hei.
Ingredients
14 items- Eel fillets 300g
- Dried red chilies 10
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 tbsp
- Ginger 1 small piece
- Garlic 3 cloves
- Scallions 2
- Celery 2 stalks
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Shaoxing wine 1 tbsp
- Sugar 1/2 tsp
- Salt to taste
- White pepper a pinch
- Cornstarch 1 tbsp
- Cooking oil 3 tbsp
Nutrition
Steps （7 steps）
Clean and cut eel into pieces. Marinate with wine, salt, and white pepper for 10 min, then coat with cornstarch.
Prepare aromatics: cut chilies, set peppercorns; julienne ginger, slice garlic, cut scallions and celery into sections.
Heat oil in wok over medium, reduce to low, fry chilies and peppercorns until fragrant and crisp, about 1 min, set aside.
Turn to high, add eel slices, quickly stir-fry until curled and golden, about 3 min, set aside.
Add oil to wok, fry ginger and garlic over medium until fragrant, about 30 sec, add celery and stir-fry until tender, about 1 min.
Return eel and chili mixture to wok, add soy sauce and sugar, stir-fry over high heat for 30 sec, then add scallions and toss.
Transfer to a plate, serve hot, garnish with white sesame seeds or chopped scallions if desired.
Tips
Marinate eel to remove fishy taste; thin coating of starch keeps it tender. Fry chilies and peppercorns on low heat to prevent burning. Use high heat during dry-frying to achieve crispy exterior and tender interior.
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