Fish Paste Stuffed Peppers

Method9 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: In a bowl, mix the 1 lb fresh seasoned fish paste with the separate 1 tbsp filling oil and 1 tsp white pepper until evenly blended. Stir in one direction, using chopsticks held together or a spoon. Keep the one raw fish-filling batch cold until stuffing.

   Uses 1 lb fresh seasoned fish paste · 1 tbsp neutral oil for the fish-paste mixture · 1 tsp white pepper

2. 2

   Step 2: Wear gloves to prepare the ten jalapeños. Remove the stems, halve each pepper lengthwise to obtain twenty halves, remove the seeds and white pith, and pat dry. Arrange the hollow pepper halves facing upward.

   Uses 10 jalapeño peppers

3. 3

   Step 3: Spoon actual fitting portions of the prepared fish filling into the twenty prepared pepper halves. Smooth each filling with a small knife and fill any gaps between fish and pepper. The source one-pound fish batch usually fills these ten peppers; keep any actual unused raw filling separate and refrigerated rather than forcing it into overfilled halves.

   Uses Actual fitting filling drawn from the one prepared batch · Twenty prepared jalapeño halves

4. 4

   Step 4: Use a wide pan that can hold the stuffed halves without crowding. Coat it well with the separate actual frying oil and heat until ready for frying. Place the prepared stuffed peppers fish-side down. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until the fish surface is golden and lifts easily without sticking.

   Fry fish side · 3 minUses Raw fish-stuffed jalapeño halves · Neutral oil to coat the pan well for frying

5. 5

   Step 5: Turn the same stuffed peppers so the outside pepper skin faces the pan. Fry for another 2–3 minutes, until the pepper bottoms are nicely browned.

   Fry pepper side · 3 minUses Stuffed peppers browned on the fish side

6. 6

   Step 6: Carefully add the 1 cup steaming water to the pan holding the browned stuffed peppers. Cover and steam for 2–3 minutes to soften the peppers and finish cooking the filling.

   Steam stuffed peppers · 3 minUses Stuffed peppers browned on both sides · 1 cup water for covered pan steaming

7. 7

   Step 7: Remove the lid and let the actual remaining water cook off. Check that the peppers are tender and the fish filling is cooked throughout. Use a food thermometer to check the center of the thickest fillings: all must reach at least 165°F (74°C), or a higher endpoint required by the fish-paste product. Continue cooking as needed rather than relying on browned surfaces or the short frying and steaming times alone.

   Uses Covered-steamed stuffed peppers

8. 8

   Step 8: Transfer the fully cooked stuffed peppers to a clean serving plate and eat hot. This one batch makes about twenty stuffed pepper halves; actual unused raw filling remains separate from the cooked serving.

   Uses Fully cooked fish-stuffed peppers

9. 9

   Step 9: Refrigerate actual cooked leftovers promptly in a sealed container and use within 2–3 days. Choose one reheating route: microwave in 30-second increments, or pan-fry over medium heat for about a minute on each side. Continue until hot throughout at 165°F (74°C).

   Uses Actual cooked leftover portion, if any; choose one reheating route