Sze Chuan Spicy fish

Find it in M&L Szechuan Chinese Restaurant - 13/14 Cathedral Street, Dublin 1

Shuizhuroupian (Chinese: 水煮肉片; pinyin: shǔizhǔròupiàn, [ʂwěi ʈʂù ɻôu pʰjɛ̂n]) is a Chinese dish which originated from the cuisine of Sichuan province and the name literally means "boiled meat slices". The preparation of this dish usually involves some sort of meat (usually it is beef or fish), chili pepper, and a large amount of vegetable oil.

The meat is prepared with water, starch, and a slight amount of salt. Boiled vegetables are placed at the bottom of the serving bowl or dish. The prepared raw meat is poached in water that is heated to boiling point for 20–30 seconds, just enough to remove rawness yet preserving the meat's tenderness. Then it is drained and put in the serving dish with vegetables. Minced dried chili, sichuan pepper, minced garlic, and other seasoning are spread over the meat. Vegetable oil is heated in a pan nearly to smoking point, then poured over the prepared meat and vegetable.

This dish maintains tenderness of the meat by poaching it instead of stir frying. It offers a good combination of tender meat, freshness of vegetable, hot spicy flavor of chili pepper, and numbing sensation of Sichuan pepper.

History and Background:

Sichuan in the Middle Ages welcomed Near Eastern crops, such as broad beans, sesame and walnuts. Since the 16th century, the list of major crops in Sichuan has even been lengthened by New World newcomers. The characteristic chili pepper came from Mexico, but probably overland from India or by river from Macao, complementing the traditional Sichuan peppercorn (花椒; huājiāo). Other newcomers from the New World included maize (corn), which largely replaced millet; white potatoes introduced by Catholic missions; and sweet potatoes. The population of Sichuan was cut by perhaps three quarters in the wars from the Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty. Settlers from the adjacent Hunan Province brought their cooking styles with them.

Sichuan is colloquially known as the "heavenly country" due to its abundance of food and natural resources. One ancient Chinese account declared that the "people of Sichuan uphold good flavour, and they are fond of hot and spicy taste." Most Sichuan dishes are spicy, although a typical meal includes non-spicy dishes to cool the palate. Sichuan cuisine is composed of seven basic flavours: sour, pungent, hot, sweet, bitter, aromatic and salty. Sichuan food is divided into five different types: sumptuous banquet, ordinary banquet, popularised food, household-style food and food snacks. Milder versions of Sichuan dishes remain a staple of American Chinese cuisine.

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