How to make Shui Zhu Yu 水煮鱼 | Spicy and Numbing Sichuan Poached Fish | Chinese Boiled Fish Recipe

fish fillets

🥗Healthier: tofu

💰Cheaper: pollock

Tofu provides a plant-based option while pollock is a more affordable fish.

Sichuan peppercorns

💰Cheaper: black pepper

Black pepper can provide a different but still spicy flavor.

chili oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil with chili flakes

💰Cheaper: homemade chili oil

Homemade chili oil can be made with less expensive ingredients.

Cut the basa fish fillets diagonally into slices, ensuring they are not too flaky.

Slice a spring onion and a small piece of ginger into large chunks, then slap them to release juices.

Place the ginger and spring onion into a bowl and pour warm or boiling water over them to create a tea for the marinade.

Add a small amount of salt and white pepper to the fish, adjusting based on the fish's natural saltiness.

Add the ginger and spring onion tea to the fish, along with rice wine and potato starch, mixing until the fish is coated with a light slimy texture.

Seal the fish with a bit of vegetable oil and let it sit while preparing other ingredients, avoiding marination for too long to prevent excess saltiness.

Quarter the cabbage and chop it into bite-sized chunks.

Chop pickled chilies into small bits and finely chop ginger and garlic, preparing them for cooking.

Toast a blend of green and red Sichuan peppercorns in a small saucepan until aromatic, then grind them into a fine powder.

Toast dried chilies in the same manner, cool them, and crush them by hand, removing seeds to avoid bitterness.

In a pan, quickly fry the dried chilies, pickled chilies, minced garlic, and ginger to release aromas, then add the chopped greens and sauté until wilted.

Transfer the sautéed mixture into a heat-resistant clay pot or large bowl.

Fry garlic and pickled chilies in oil for the soup base, then add red chili oil and broad bean paste, cooking until it releases red oils.

Add rice wine to the soup base and mix well.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens