Sichuan Peppercorn

Ingredients

The spice

• whole red Sichuan peppercorns
• or green Sichuan peppercorns, which are sharper

For toasted ground pepper

• 60 gwhole peppercorns

For pepper salt

• 3 tbspground toasted peppercorns
• 3 tbspfine salt

For chilli oil

• 2 tbsppeppercorns
• 200 mloil
• chilli flakes

Equipment

• a dry pan
• a spice grinder or mortar
• a fine sieve

Note

• the husk is used and the black seeds are discarded

Directions

1. Tip the peppercorns onto a tray. Pick out the black seeds and any twigs. Judging quality is done by smell and colour.
2. Keep them whole rather than ground. They keep their aroma for about a year whole. Grind only as much as you need. Heat a dry pan over a medium-low heat.
3. Add the sorted peppercorns to it. Shake the pan almost constantly. Toast them for two to three minutes.
4. Take them off the heat the moment that happens. Grinding them is done once cool. Let them cool completely, which takes ten minutes.
5. Grind them in a spice grinder or a mortar. Sift the ground pepper through a fine sieve. Discard the coarse husk fragments left behind. Mix equal parts ground toasted pepper and fine salt.
6. Toast the salt briefly in a dry pan first if you like. It keeps for a month in an airtight jar.
7. Warm the oil gently with whole peppercorns. Keep the heat low, around 120C. Infuse them for fifteen minutes. Strain all the peppercorns out. Biting a whole one is startling if you are not expecting it.

Technique

• The husk is used and the hard black seeds are discarded, since they are gritty and bitter.
• Toast them only until fragrant, as overtoasting makes them bitter and kills the numbing effect.
• Grind only what you need, since ground pepper loses its punch within weeks.

Substitutions

• Green Sichuan peppercorns, which are sharper and stronger.
• There is no real substitute for the numbing effect.

Variations

• Ground with salt as a dusting for fried food.
• Infused into oil and drizzled over dishes.
• Used whole in braises and strained out.

History

Native to Sichuan and used since antiquity; the United States banned imports from 1968 to 2005 over citrus canker fears, reshaping Sichuan cooking abroad.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sichuan Peppercorn?

Sichuan Peppercorn is a sauce & condiment from China: husks of prickly ash that numb and tingle, the ma half of Sichuan’s mala. Native to Sichuan and used since antiquity; the United States banned imports from 1968 to 2005 over citrus canker fears, reshaping Sichuan cooking abroad.

How long does Sichuan Peppercorn take to make?

Sichuan Peppercorn takes 10 min of preparation and 5 min of cooking. The recipe makes notes on buying and using. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Sichuan Peppercorn?

Yes, within limits. Green Sichuan peppercorns, which are sharper and stronger. There is no real substitute for the numbing effect.

What is the most important thing to get right in Sichuan Peppercorn?

Keep them whole rather than ground. They keep their aroma for about a year whole. Grind only as much as you need. Heat a dry pan over a medium-low heat.