Tianmen Steamed Eel with Pickles
A classic steamed dish from Tianmen, Hubei. Eel is steamed with pickled vegetables and rice flour, resulting in a sour-spicy and tender flavor.
Ingredients
13 items- Eel (swamp eel) 500 g
- Pickled mustard greens 150 g
- Rice 100 g
- Ginger 20 g
- Garlic 15 g
- Dried chili peppers 5 g
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 g
- Scallions to taste
- Shaoxing wine 15 ml
- Light soy sauce 15 ml
- Salt to taste
- White pepper powder 2 g
- Cooking oil 40 ml
Nutrition
Steps （7 steps）
Place the eel in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of salt and rub for 2 minutes to remove slime. Rinse thoroughly until water runs clear, drain, and cut into 5 cm sections. Marinate with Shaoxing wine, a pinch of salt, and white pepper for 10 minutes.
Toast the rice in a dry pan over low heat for about 8 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool, then grind into a coarse powder (some granules remain).
Rinse pickled mustard greens twice to reduce saltiness, squeeze dry, and chop into small pieces. Mince ginger and garlic; cut dried chilies into sections.
Add pickled greens, rice powder, ginger, garlic, and dried chilies to the eel. Add light soy sauce, white pepper, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix thoroughly so each eel piece is evenly coated.
Brush a steaming plate with oil, spread the eel mixture in a single layer. Steam over high heat for 15-18 minutes, until the eel is cooked and the rice powder is tender.
Remove from steamer, sprinkle with scallions and Sichuan peppercorns (if using). Heat 30 ml oil in a small pan until shimmering, then pour it over the scallions and peppercorns to sizzle.
Drizzle with a little sesame oil if desired, then serve immediately.
Tips
Must thoroughly clean the eel slime with salt to avoid fishy odor. Toast rice on low heat to prevent burning. Rice powder should be coarse with some granules for texture. Adjust steaming time according to eel thickness; it's done when a chopstick pierces easily. Splashing hot oil is crucial to release aroma.
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