Salt & Sichuan Pepper Smashed Potatoes

How to make Chinese salt and pepper spice blend

May 23, 2024

Hi! This week we’re cooking another dish featuring the magical Sichuan pepper. You will learn how to make a Chinese salt and pepper blend and serve it in a creative way with oven-roasted potatoes and whipped tofu. Watch me make it here!

In most Chinese dishes where Sichuan pepper is involved, it plays a complementary role, like a humble and trusted spice friend. Occasionally, it takes center stage, as in jiaoyan dishes.

Jiaoyan (椒盐), literally translated as pepper and salt, is a dry spice blend mainly made from Sichuan pepper and salt, optionally with other spices and chili flakes. This savory, aromatic, and appetizing seasoning is widely used across China in deep-fried dishes like salt and pepper shrimp or ribs, but also in pastries and steamed flower buns (huajuan). In China, you can find ready-made jars in the condiment aisles of supermarkets. The Cantonese version often uses white peppercorns and ground ginger or onion, which is often seen in takeout Chinese dishes.

I prefer this version with a kick from the tingly Sichuan pepper, however, either variety pairs great with barbecued and fried food, for example fried chicken and French Fries (for example the popular Sichuan fries at Dashi in Berlin).

deep-fried oyster mushrooms with jiaoyan seasoning

My version mainly uses Sichuan pepper, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, and salt, based on this chef’s recipe (he also used dried shrimp skin and star anise). I tried it with fried mushrooms and ended up using some in-season new potatoes. Jiaoyan potatoes is a way to use this seasoning, however, instead of stir-frying them, I sprinkle the jiaoyan on oven-roasted smashed potatoes to get a crispy texture. Smashed potatoes have been in my cooking repertoire ever since I first made it with Ruby’s amazing recipe for Kitchen Stories.

These salt and pepper smashed potatoes are perfect finger food on their own, but if you want them to look fancier, serve them on a base of whipped tofu. I’ve always wanted to try whipped tofu, and this, inspired by a Baking Hermann recipe, adds a nice silky texture and some acidity to the crispy roasted potatoes.

How to make salt & Sichuan pepper (jiaoyan) blend

Yields about 3 tbsp

5 g / 1 tbsp whole Sichuan peppercorns
3 g / 1 tsp fennel seeds
10 g / 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
5 g / 1 tsp salt
1 g / 1/8 tsp MSG (optional)
5 g / 2 tsp chili flakes (optional)

In a small pan without oil, toast Sichuan pepper over low heat until they are fragrant and release oil. Add fennel seeds and sesame seeds. Once both are toasted, transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and grind into a coarse powder. In the same pan, add salt and toast until lightly golden. Then add chili flakes and toast briefly until fragrant (be careful they burn easily). Turn off the heat, add back your Sichuan pepper and fennel mix, and combine. Optionally, add MSG. Let cool and store in an airtight jar.

The recipe

Servings: 2

Ingredients

400 g new waxy potatoes
1/2 tsp salt
olive oil
2-3 tsp jiaoyan seasoning
red chili, scallion green, and cilantro for garnish

For Whipped Tofu:

300 g silken tofu
2 tbsp lemon juice
zest of half a lemon
salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/390ºF. Clean baby potatoes, leaving the skin on. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add potatoes and salt. Boil with skin on for about 15-20 minutes until fork tender. Drain and return to the pot to cool.
Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a glass to lightly smash them. Drizzle with olive oil and season with 1 tsp of jiaoyan seasoning. Roast the potatoes in the oven at 200ºC for 30-35 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
In the meantime, in a measuring cup or food processor, add silken tofu, lemon juice, zest, and a small pinch of salt. Blend until smooth.
On a serving plate, spoon over whipped tofu, then add smashed potatoes. Sprinkle more jiaoyan seasoning to your preference. Garnish with chopped red chili, cilantro, and scallion green.