If you are familiar with Sichuan cuisine or Sichuan style dishes, I believe that most of you have heard about the boiled series of Sichuan cuisine or in Chinese, we call “水煮，shuizhu” series and for the literal translation water boiled, but not the same with blanching. This boiling is full of flavor.
There are lot of famous water boiled dishes in Sichuan cuisine including boiled fish (boiled fish slices); water boiled sliced pork, boiled beef. Most of the dishes use slices rather than wedges or cubes because in order to keep the meat as tender as possible, the cooking time should be limited to just several minutes.
The soup base is really important for boiled fish and other water boiled dishes. And the essential ingredient for the soup base is Doubanjiang or broad bean paste and dou-chi. I strongly recommend using pixian doubanjiang which might be available in Asia stores or you can purchase from amazon: Sichuan / Pixian / Pi Xian Broad Bean Paste 16OZ (454g).Basically, broad bean paste is stir-fried with ginger, garlic and the white part of green onion, and then clean water is added. During the process, slow fire is used to simmer the taste of Doubanjiang out and make the soup base tasty.
Time flies, this recipe is firstly published in 2014 and now 7 years passed. I used to use fresh water fish like grass carp or snakehead fish. But I choose Basa fillet this time because it is more friendly to those who are not good at removing the fishbones.
Prepare the chili pepper and Sichuan Peppercorn
Heat 12 to 20 dried chili peppers with slow fire for half minute and then add 1 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorn in wok until slightly aromatic. Move out, cool down and then roughly chop.
Steps
Cut the fillet into thin slices and then marinate with all marinating sauce. Set aside for 30 minutes or even longer. Then add cornstarch and mix well before making the dish.
Add oil in wok and fry the doubanjiang over slow fire until the oil turns red. Then place garlic, ginger and scallion in and fry until aromatic.
Then add dou-chi, Sichuan peppercorn and toasted chili pepper (half). Continue cooking for half minutes.
Load the wok with around 4 cups of water. Let the base simmer for 10 minutes over slow fire.
During this period, take another pot and blanch bean sprouts for 1 minutes and then place in the bottom of serving bowl to support fish slices. Then place the fish slices in and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the fish slices to serving bowl.
Add soup base to serving bowl, recommend using a filter to remove the doubanjiang flakes.
Add the remaining chili pepper flakes, Sichuan peppercorn, chopped garlic and chopped scallion on top. Pour around 2 tablespoons of hot oil on top. Serve hot!
Sichuan Boiled Fish
Ingredients
- 500 g fish fillet
- 200 g bean sprouts
Marinating
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. cooking wine
- 1 tbsp. egg white
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- ½ tsp. ground white pepper
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
Soup Base
- 2 tbsp. cooking oil , divided
- 2 tbsp. doubanjiang
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 green onions
- 1 inch root ginger
- half fo the fried Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 tsp. dou-chi , optional
- half of fried the peppers
- pinch of salt
- 4 cups water
Topping
- fried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp. chopped green onion
- 2 tbsp. hot oil
Instructions
- Prepare fish |Cut the fillet into thin slices and then marinate with all marinating sauce. Set aside for 30 minutes or even longer. Then add cornstarch and mix well before making the dish.
- Fry the pepper and Sichuan peppercorn|Heat 12 to 20 dried chili peppers with slow fire for half minute and then add 1 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorn in wok until slightly aromatic. Move out, cool down and then roughly chop.
- Add oil in wok and fry the doubanjiang over slow fire until the oil turns red. Then place garlic, ginger and scallion in and fry until aromatic. Then add dou-chi, Sichuan peppercorn and toasted chili pepper (half). Continue cooking for half minutes.
- Load the wok with around 4 cups of water. Let the base simmer for 10 minutes over slow fire.
- During this period, take another pot and blanch bean sprouts for 1 minutes and then place in the bottom of serving bowl to support fish slices. Then place the fish slices in and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the fish slices to serving bowl.
- Add soup base to serving bowl, recommend using a filter to remove the doubanjiang flakes.
- Add the remaining chili pepper flakes, Sichuan peppercorn, chopped garlic and chopped scallion on top. Pour around 2 tablespoons of hot oil on top. Serve hot!
Fuyu
In this summer my friends brought me to a Sichuan food restaurang in London. It was my first time to have sichuan food in my life! I was kind of shocked because the dishes were so tasty and it's huge different kind of umami from my home country Japan. I completely had no idea to cook those foods!
But I'm happy to know your blog and recipes, and I like your fotos at Instagram!
Thank you so much!
Maureen
Your videos and photos really help! Keep up the good work. I love your recipes.
Alex A
I'm hoping to make this dish in the next few days. Are most people using water or broth? Is there a big difference?
Elaine
No big difference. Usually we use water directly but some high class restaurants use stock.
DawnZ
HI!I'm Dawn.Thanks for providing us such a useful recipe.I love Sichuan food!!Rencently I am studying on a program about Chinese traditional dishes.Can I use this lovely recipe in my powerpoint?Looking forward to ur reply! :))
Arielle Schechter
For vegans, Would this work with mushrooms instead of fish?
Elaine
Yes, perfectly! You can use a mix of mushrooms. Highly recommend oyster mushroom.
Eszter
What is the reason why the original recipe was updated? I found the recipe with tsao ko more authentic.
Elaine
Eszter,
I updated with my new recipe. You can watch the youtube video for the original version.
Bine
Hello,
it's impossible for me to find Douchi. Is there any substitute for it or should I simply leave it out?
Elaine
Bine, you can skip douchi if you cann't find them.
Rolf
Really love this one! We use Hailbutt for it and it turns out wonderful every time. Also wonderful for guests.
Elaine
Thank you Rolf for this wonderful feedback. I am so happy to know it. Happy cooking.