On the banks of the Yangtze, in the Wanzhou district east of Chongqing, there's a type of food stall that appears at dusk: a charcoal grill burning, a whole fish roasting over the embers, and the smell of doubanjiang mixing with river smoke. That's 万州烤鱼—Wanzhou grilled fish. It's one of the most spectacular dishes in all of Chongqing cuisine. And in Spain, HAMMER serves it.
Wanzhou was for centuries an important port on the Yangtze river route. The river fishermen caught carp and pikeperch, the market vendors had doubanjiang, chilies, and Sichuan pepper. Someone, at some point no one can date exactly, had the idea of grilling fish over charcoal and bathing it in that spiced oil while it roasted.
In the 90s, Wanzhou restaurants specialized in this dish. Fame spread throughout China. Today there are franchises in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen. The most faithful version you'll find in Spain is at HAMMER.
The fish is roasted whole over charcoal embers—not gas, not griddle. The dry heat and smoke create a crispy outer layer while the inside stays juicy. The fish is marinated beforehand: fresh ginger, Shaoxing rice wine, salt, a little soy sauce. A simple marinade to enhance the fish, not mask it.
When the fish is roasted, it's brought to the table on a metal grill over open flame. Around it go the vegetables: bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro. Over everything the sauce is poured: chili oil, fried doubanjiang, chopped garlic, ginger, Sichuan pepper, soy sauce, rock sugar. The sauce continues cooking over the flame while you eat. The vegetables absorb the chili oil. The dish evolves during the twenty or thirty minutes the meal lasts.
In China, Wanzhou fish is made with river carp and pikeperch. In Spain, European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) has perfect characteristics: firm flesh that withstands roasting without falling apart, resistant skin that becomes crispy over charcoal, clean flavor that works with the sauce.
The sea bass we use at HAMMER is fresh, not frozen. We order it whole, prepare it in the kitchen on the day of service. Fresh sea bass has texture and flavor that no frozen fish can replicate.
The sauce is prepared for each service: doubanjiang fried in oil until it turns intense red, then chopped garlic, ginger, dried chilies, black bean paste, soy sauce, rock sugar. Finally, freshly ground Sichuan pepper. Each ingredient adds its layer: the doubanjiang provides umami base and complex heat, fresh garlic provides aromatic power, rock sugar balances and adds shine.
It's on our menu. Madrid and Barcelona. Fresh, authentic, over flame. When you finish the fish, dip bread in the juice left on the grill—that juice is the concentrated summary of the entire dish.
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