I.     Recipe name: Tiger-Skin Hot Peppers

II.     Ingredients:

1. 1 pound spicy green peppers

III.     Seasonings:

1. 2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2. 1 teaspoon sugar

3. 2 teaspoons fermented black beans* (optional if you don’t care for the smell)

IV.   Directions:

1. Remove stem, core, and seeds from the spicy green peppers. Rinse the peppers in water. (Keep the seeds if you like the spicy taste)

2. Bring a pot of water (enough to cover entire peppers) to a boil, and keep it boiling.

3. Put the peppers into the boiling water for about 30 seconds until the color of the peppers turns bright green. Remove from heat and rinse the peppers with cold water for a while. Drain the water.

4. Only add the appropriate amount (not too much as peppers absorb oil) of oil. Peppers will not be over-cooked even when the skin seems burned the inside is not.

5. Preheat the cooking oil on medium heat (not too hot) until it starts to smoke.

6. Fry the peppers until they are soft enough to be poked through with a chopstick. Then add in soy sauce, fermented black beans, and sugar. Stir-fry for a minute and it’s ready to serve.

7. Sprinkle with vinegar if you prefer the sour taste. This dish is fast, easy to make and exciting!

V.   Recipe provider: Wenjian Xu 

Note:  * Available in Asian markets.