Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 18 oz. small smooth river pebbles the size of fava beans, thoroughly washed (NOT eaten)
- 3 Tbsp. rendered pork lard (zhuyou)
- 1 tsp. finely microplaned fresh navel-orange zest (zest only, no pith), to finish — (optional TFD addition, Zigui-revival house accent)
- 2 Tbsp. Hirshon chili oil (la you)
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 Tbsp. fresh peeled ginger, julienned
- 3 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
- 4 fresh facing-heaven chilies (chaotianjiao 朝天椒), diced — THE PROPER PEPPER; US substitute: 3 red serranos
- 2 pickled red chilies (paojiao 泡椒), finely minced — regional sour-fruity pepper, at the finish
- 1 peppadew pepper, brine washed off, finely minced (Optional TFD addition, omit for authenticity)
- 1 Tbsp. 3-year aged Pixian doubanjiang (fermented broad-bean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp. douchi (fermented black beans), rinsed
- 1 1/2 tsp. zhacai (Sichuan mustard tuber / 榋菜), rinsed and finely pureed — fermented sour-savory body, bloom early
- 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tsp. light soy sauce (reduce if needed due to salt content)
- 1/2 tsp. crushed Chinese yellow rock sugar
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground wild cumin
- 1/3 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
- 1/3 tsp. Tribute Sichuan peppercorns (huajiao), crushed — for the attested málà profile
- 1 tsp. pickled-chili brine (paojiao shui / 泡椒水) — bright sour lacquer, at the finish
- 1 drop Red Boat 50 fish sauce — the specific marine/‘river-snail’ note only (optional TFD accent)
- 1/2 tsp. Kadoya sesame oil, to finish
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds, to finish
Instructions
- Scrub small smooth river pebbles, thoroughly washed (NOT eaten) hard under running water until no grit remains. Boil them in plenty of water for 10 minutes to sterilize, then drain.
- Spread the pebbles on a tray and dry them fully — low oven (TFD does this), dry pan, or air. This is the one non-negotiable safety step: any residual water will flash to steam and throw scalding fat out of the wok.
- Get a wok ripping hot and melt pork lard (zhuyou) until it shimmers. Fry fresh ginger, julienned, garlic cloves, sliced, and the scallion whites, whites and greens separated, chopped until fragrant and just golden. (For the austere Guangming baseline, this plus chili and salt is the entire dish — see text.)
- Push in 13-year aged Pixian doubanjiang (fermented broad-bean chili paste), douchi (fermented black beans), rinsed, and zhacai (Sichuan mustard tuber / 榋菜), rinsed and finely pureed; stir until the fat reddens, the pickle’s moisture cooks off, and it smells deep, savory, and fermented — about 45 seconds. Don’t let the bean paste or the zhacai scorch.
- Tip in the bone-dry small smooth river pebbles, thoroughly washed (NOT eaten). Keep the heat at maximum and toss continuously so every pebble gets coated and screaming hot. Tradition holds that high heat is what coaxes out the ‘river-snail’ note.
- Add Hirshon chili oil (la you), facing-heaven chilies (chaotianjiao 朝天椒), diced — THE PROPER PEPPER; US substitute: red serranos, Shaoxing cooking wine, light soy sauce (reduce if needed — see salt caution), crushed yellow rock sugar, freshly ground wild cumin, freshly ground white pepper, Tribute Sichuan peppercorns (huajiao), crushed, 1 drop Red Boat 50 fish sauce, pickled red chilies, and 1 peppadew pepper.
- Keep tossing hard so the spiced lard lacquers the stones evenly. Then splash in pickled-chili brine (paojiao shui / 泡椒水) against the screaming-hot stones so it flashes to a bright sour lacquer rather than pooling — the documented 酸辣 note landing last.
- Pull the wok off the heat. Fold in the scallion greens, letting residual heat wilt them. Grate 1 tsp finely microplaned fresh navel-orange zest (flavedo only, no pith), to finish over the hot stones so its bright oils land directly on the fat film, then drizzle Kadoya sesame oil, to finish and scatter sesame seeds, to finish. Work quickly — fresh zest is at its best the moment it hits.
- Plate the stones while they crackle. To ‘eat’: pick up a pebble, suck the spiced fat off it, and discard it (or pocket it as a souvenir, per the vendors). Work through the plate. The stones are never chewed or swallowed.