Name: Chinese Tomato Fish
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1000 g grass carp ( , or you can use fillet); 2 large tomatoes ( , peeled and cut into small cubes); 100 g oyster mushrooms; 4 garlic cloves; 1 cup celery ( , cut into 1 inch sections); 1/4 red onion ( , cut into pieces); a handful coriander; 2 green onions ( , chopped); 4 tablespoons cooking oil ( , divided); 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine; 1 tablespoon minced ginger; 2 spring onion whites; pinch of salt; dash of pepper; 1 egg white; 2 tablespoons starch ( , I use homemade sweet potato starch, you can use cornstarch)

Have you ever tried Sichuan water boiled dishes, like Shuizhu pork, Shuizhu beef and Shuizhu fish? They are the most popular dishes in Sichuan cuisine. Lots of ingredients can be cooked in this way. And this version with tomato and fish is Elaine’s creation for my little daughter who hates spicy food. Though it is not spicy at all, but the fish tastes super great in the slightly sour and savory tomato soup.

Ingredients you will need

1 grass carp, around 1000g (or you can use fillet)
2 large tomatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
100g oyster mushrooms, hard ends removed and spilt into smaller pieces (you can change it to bean sprounts, cucumber or shitake mushrooms)
4 garlic cloves
1 cup celery, cut into 1 inch sections
¼ red onion, cut into pieces
a handful coriander
2 green onions, chopped
4 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)

Seasoning for marinating the fish slices

2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 spring onion whites
pinch of salt
dash of pepper
1 egg white
2 tablespoons starch (I use homemade sweet potato starch, you can use cornstarch)

How to cut the fish (if you need any visual help, check the video in Shuizhu fish )

Cut lengthwise along one side of the fish parallel and then cut along the other side to separate the fillet.
Get the bones out and cut into small chunks.
place the fish fillet on broad and cut the meat into thin slices

Tips about how to customize your own tomato fish

You can add several dried chilis or fresh thai chili peppers to add some spicy taste.
Oyster mushrooms can be replaced by other mushrooms, cucumber, kelp or bean sprouts
You may prepare a spicy dipping sauce for serving (2 fresh thai peppers+1 tablespoon chopped coriander and green onion+1 tablespoon sesame oil +½ tablespoon light soy sauce+ 1 smashed garlic clove )

Add starch, cooking wine, spring onion whites, ginger, ground pepper, egg white and salt. Marinate the fish meat for around 1 hour.

Besides, I also add oyster mushrooms, coriander, green onion, garlic cloves, red onion and celery.

Peel the tomato and them cut into small dices. Heat around 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in wok or pot, fry green onion and garlic until aroma. Add diced tomato and fry over slow fire for around 7-10 minutes until the tomato becomes soft and they are lots of juice out. Add around 2L hot water and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.

Add fish bones, celery, red onion and oyster mushrooms and continue cooking 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Transfer all the content expect the soup to the serving pot and leave the soup in the original wok.

Turn up the fire and cook the fish slices for around 30 seconds until they turn white. Transfer the fish slices along with the soup to the serving plate.

Heat around 2 tablespoons of oil in wok until slightly smoky and then pour over the fish slices. Sprinkle coriander and green onion before serving.