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Duo jiao
Fermented chopped chillies
剁椒: fresh red chillies chopped with garlic, ginger and salt, fermented a week into Hunan's bright, sour-hot relish
In late summer, Hunan kitchens ring with the thud of two cleavers chopping heaps of red chillies, the sound of duo jiao (chopped chilli) being made for the year. Chillies, garlic and ginger are chopped coarse, salted heavily and packed into jars to ferment for about a week, until the heat turns rounder, slightly sour and fruity. Spread thickly over steamed fish fillets, stirred into stir-fried pork or eggs, or spooned over steamed taro, it brings colour as much as fire. Common mistake: chopping it to a smooth paste in a blender; the texture should be rough, pieces the size of rice grains, so pulse briefly or use a knife. Normal ferment signs are a few bubbles, a sour smell and a little liquid rising; a fuzzy coloured mould or a rotten smell means discard. It is ready after 5–7 days at cool room temperature, when it tastes tangy rather than raw. Because it contains garlic and ginger and is a low-sugar paste, it then lives in the fridge for up to 3 months, or in the freezer for a year. Chef's tip: wear gloves and open a window; a kilo of chopped chillies is fierce.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the duo jiao
- 2 ¼ lb fresh red chilliesa mix of long mild and small hot ones
- 2 ⅞ oz garlicpeeled
- 2 ⅛ oz fresh gingerpeeled
- 3 ⅓ oz saltabout 8% of the total weight
- 1 tsp sugar
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wash the 2 ¼ lb fresh red chillies and dry them completely on a cloth for at least 2 hours; any water left on them can spoil the ferment. Pull off the stalks.
10 minStep 2: Wash a 1.5 litre jar in hot soapy water, rinse and dry in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes; cool.
10 minStep 3: Chop the chillies with 2 ⅞ oz garlic and 2 ⅛ oz fresh ginger on a board with a heavy knife, or pulse a few times in a food processor, until everything is in rice-grain pieces. Do not purée.
15 minStep 5: Pack into the jar, pressing hard to push out air until a layer of juice covers the top. Leave 3 cm of space, close the lid loosely (or use an airlock lid), and stand the jar on a plate at cool room temperature, out of the sun.
Step 6: Ferment for 5–7 days, pressing down with a clean spoon each day and opening the lid briefly to release gas. Small bubbles and a sour smell are normal; discard if you see fuzzy coloured mould or smell rot. It is ready when it tastes tangy and fruity rather than raw-hot.
Step 7: Close tightly and move to the fridge: keeps 3 months there, or freeze in small portions for up to a year. Always use a clean dry spoon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 13 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does duo jiao take?
- About 30 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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