Paocai (泡菜), literally meaning “soaked vegetables” in Chinese, is a traditional Sichuanese pickle made through lacto-fermentation. Paocai is deeply rooted in Sichuan cuisine, prized for its versatility as both a side dish and ingredient. Unlike many other fermented pickles, paocai…
Sichuan Paocai (Infinite Pickle Jar)
Sichuan Hot Honey Baklava
Tingly, spicy, crunchy, chewy, and nutty— this Chinese-American take on baklava is unlike anything you’ve tasted before. Cashew and black sesame filling is rolled in crispy phyllo before getting drenched in a Sichuan spiced hot honey. The typical Turkish pistachios…
Spiced Garlic Tinned Fish Spaghetti
This 5-ingredient recipe takes just 20 minutes to make, perfect for weeknights and dinner parties alike. This tinned fish dish is inspired by the classic Italian pantry pasta: Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Traditionally, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is prepared with…
Tinned Fish Johnnycakes
These tinned fish johnnycakes feature a light and crisp corn cake with smoked tinned fish pate, creme fraiche, chives, and maple butter. It’s directly inspired by the johnnycake on the menu at Neptune Oyster in Boston, MA, where the Neptune…
Tinned Smoked Mussel Sundae
This sundae combines two of my longtime beloved research subjects: tinned fish and ice cream. Vanilla bean ice cream is topped with a creamy smoked mussel fudge, passion fruit gel, ginger cracker toffee, and fried curry leaves. This sundae is…
Lotus Leaf Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger Rattan Pepper Vinaigrette
Gently cooking fish swaddled in lotus leaves perfumes it with a subtly sweet lotus fragrance while keeping the fish incredibly moist and tender. This simple steamed fish is topped with a refreshing vinaigrette inspired by Sichuan flavors of ginger, soy…
Homemade Cultured Butter
Make cultured butter at home from just two simple ingredients: cream and kefir, no special equipment required. Cultured butter is one of the simplest home fermentation projects and a great introduction into the transformative power of fermentation. This butter is…
Sichuan Spiced Salmon Gravlax
Gravlax is salmon that is cured with salt, sugar, and dill. I riffed on this Nordic classic by swapping the cure with my go-to Sichuanese cure made by toasting spices in salt. This gravlax recipe is a welcoming gateway into…
Hunan Stir-Fried Pork
This flavorful stir-fry comes together in just 15 minutes with tender thinly sliced pork and crisp vegetables. The literal translation of the dish 小炒肉 is “small stir-fried pork”, a reference to its quick cooking and humble origins as an everyday…