🫑 Dad's Chinese Stuffed Peppers: Your new favorite appetizer (釀辣椒)

By Made With Lau · 45 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Clean and peel the shrimp, then rinse them and squeeze out all the water.
2. Pat the swai fillet dry, slice it thinly, and smash the slices with a broad cleaver until they form a paste. Gather and smash again, then finish by chopping thoroughly to soften it.
3. Smash and chop the shrimp until it becomes a fine, sticky paste.
4. Fold the fish paste and shrimp paste together and smash the mixture once more.
5. Mix 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 0.5 tsp white pepper, 2 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water in a bowl, then pour over the seafood paste. Mix very thoroughly until it becomes sticky, then mix in 1 tbsp sesame oil. Refrigerate while preparing the peppers.
6. Cut the green and red bell peppers open and remove the cores and seeds. Cut each into large curved wedges, then halve them (about 8 pieces per pepper for a large pepper; use fewer for smaller ones).
7. Place the pepper pieces insides up on a plate and sprinkle a little cornstarch over each piece (1 tsp in total).
8. Scoop about 1 tbsp of filling onto each pepper piece, pressing it down firmly so it sticks. Use an oiled spoon if the paste sticks to it.
9. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 tbsp black bean paste, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch and 4 tbsp water. Add dark soy sauce, 0.5 tsp, if you want a darker colour.
10. Heat a non-stick flat-bottomed pan on the highest heat, then lower the heat and add 2 tbsp oil. Place the peppers filling side down, turn the heat to medium, cover and cook 2–3 minutes until the filling is firm.
11. Uncover and check the colour. When the filling is golden brown, turn the heat to low and flip the pieces gently.
12. Put the lid back on and cook for 1 minute more. Splash in 1 tbsp cooking wine, cover, turn off the heat and let the residual heat cook for 1 more minute.
13. Remove the peppers to a plate. Without washing the pan, pour in the black bean sauce and bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring gently to prevent lumps. Turn off the heat; the sauce thickens as it cools, and you can thin it with a few tablespoons of water if needed.
14. Serve the sauce on the side or pour it over the peppers.

Summarized from Made With Lau's video. Watch it for the details.

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Bell pepperShrimpBlack beanFish