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1 cup dried anchovies

1 cup shelled, skinless peanuts

1 teaspoon neutral oil (plus 3 tablespoons, divided)

1 tablespoon ginger (minced)

7 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

¼ cup fermented black beans

3-10 fresh or dried red chilies (kept whole; to taste or optional)

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon sesame oil

4 long hot green peppers (de-seeded and julienned)

Salt (to taste)

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1. First trim the dried anchovies, removing the heads and guts as pictured. Measure out 1 cup. Rinse the anchovies in a strainer, and shake off any excess water. DO NOT SOAK them, or they will turn mushy. A quick rinse is good enough.

2. Wok-fry the peanuts using 1 teaspoon oil over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat, and stir for 1 more minute using the residual heat. Transfer the peanuts to a shallow dish, spreading them out and letting them cool completely. Once cooled, they’ll turn crunchy.

3. With the wok set over medium-low heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the wok, followed by the ginger and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is lightly browned around the edges.

4. Add the fermented black beans and chilies. Cook for 1 minute, then add the dried anchovies. Stir everything to combine.

5. Add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and long hot green peppers. Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, until there is no standing liquid.

6. Remember the tip about keeping the peanuts and anchovies separate until you are ready to serve? Depending on how much you think you’ll eat, mix the peanuts and anchovies as soon as you’re ready to eat. (Set aside leftover anchovies and peanuts in separate containers as needed.) Add salt to taste, and remove from the heat.

Tips & Notes:

This can be served warm or at room temperature. It’s also not too bad to eat cold with a hot bowl of pao fan / rice porridge

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If you have dry roasted peanuts, you can save the step of wok frying them. Be sure to keep the peanuts separate right up until serving. Mixing them in at the last minute helps them stay crunchy.

Store the dried anchovy stir-fry and the wok-fried peanuts in separate airtight containers, keeping the anchovies in the refrigerator and the wok-fried peanuts on the counter. Before you cook them, the dried anchovies should also be stored in the fridge.  

It’s worth noting that it takes a little time and care to prep the anchovies properly. Sometimes, you will see dried anchovies at restaurants, but they don’t always go through the trouble of removing the head and guts, which tend to be bitter. 

Remove Guts: Pull the head away, and the black intestines (guts) will usually come with it.

Split (Optional): For very large anchovies, you can split them in half to remove any remaining innards.

Tip: For a less bitter, less fishy taste, buy anchovies that are curvier, as this means they were alive when they were dried.