A quick and easy Sichuan dish, tiger skin pepper combines a delightful texture with bold flavors like smokiness, spiciness, and a hint of sweet and sour.
Trim off the stems of the chili peppers. Deseed then cut them in halves crosswise (keep them whole if they’re fairly small). Mix light soy sauce, black rice vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl.
Put the chili peppers into an empty wok/skillet (without oil). Over medium heat, char the peppers until they wilt and brown blisters appear on the surface (Press them with the back of a spatula to accelerate the process).
Transfer out the charred peppers. Pour cooking oil into the wok and add minced garlic and fermented black beans.
Sizzle until the garlic turns lightly golden. Return the pepper back to the wok and pour in the sauce mixture. Give everything a quick stir to evenly distribute the seasoning. Dish out and serve warm with steamed rice and 1 or 2 protein-based dishes.
Notes
1. For shooting this recipe, I used green sivri chili peppers that have mild heat. You may choose other varieties that suit your tolerance to spiciness.2. Fermented black beans also known as Dòu Chǐ/豆豉, salted black beans. You can find them in Chinese grocery stores.