Spicy Boiled Fish

Shui Zhu Yu (水煮鱼)

Thin slices of freshly-caught fish are poached in a sizzling-spicy soup and splashed with hot oil that sizzles garlic, chili flakes, and Sichuan pepper creating a delicious chili oil on the surface of the dish.

Spicy Boiled Fish is a staple of Sichuan cuisine. Also known as Water Boiled Fish, this dish is eaten often – both in restaurants and at homes. Spicy Boiled Fish is full of sizzling-spicy flavor that is combined with a pop of aromatic Garlic, Cilantro, and Scallion. And, underneath it all is a delectable medley of tender-crisp Vegetables.

While Spicy Boiled Fish is prepared often at homes in Sichuan, the task for a novice to Sichuan cooking may seem a little daunting. There are tons of Vegetables, Toppings, and Garnishes to prepare alongside the basic task of preparing the Fish. Therefore, as much as is possible, prepare ahead of time. You can greatly reduce the cooking time by starting with fish fillets and preparing the following two ingredients in advance: Mala Chili Flakes and Fish Stock.

I tend to make my Fish Stock well in advance and freeze it until it’s needed. This is not traditional, but it does speed up the process. Traditionally, Sichuan chefs begin with a whole live Fish, which they will butcher, clean, and cut. They will cook the head, bones, and tail in the spicy soup to add richness. You can instead save these and use them for making Fish Stock which will last for months in a freezer and can be used for multiple dishes. Fish Stock allows you to simply use fillets instead of an entire Fish, which greatly reduces the cooking time. Mala Chili Flakes can, likewise, be made well in advance, stored in an airtight container, and used for multiple dishes.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 25 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

2 large Fish Fillets (White Fish such as Carp, Perch, Sea Bass, Snakehead; Preferably with Skin; About 500 grams)

Washing
2 Tbsp. Salt
4 cups of Water

Marinade
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Egg White
2 -4 Tbsp. Corn Starch

Vegetables (About 500 grams Total)
4 - 6 large Portabella Mushrooms (OR Any Type of Mushroom; About 150 – 200 grams)
40 stalks of Chinese Celery (About 200 grams)
1 large handful of Bean Sprouts (About 100 – 150 grams)

Aromatics
6 to 10 Pickled Red Chilies
4 – 6 cloves of Garlic
1 3-inch block of Ginger

Chili-Oil Toppings
5 Dried Red Chilies
2 white stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
2 cloves of Garlic
1/2 small bunch of Cilantro
2 – 4 Tbsp. Knife-Cut Chili Flakes
1 tsp. Sesame Seeds

Garnishes
2 green stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
1/2 small bunch of Cilantro
1 clove of Garlic
1 tsp. freshly ground Green Sichuan Pepper

Peanut Oil

4 Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste

8 cups of Water (Preferably: 7 cups of Water and 1 cup of Fish Stock)

Sauces and Seasonings
1 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/4 tsp. Ground White Pepper

Directions

1.) Place the Fish Fillets on a cutting board. With a sharp knife in the right hand cutting from right to left, hold the blade almost flat with the cutting surface, the edge just barely angled down to cut, and carefully slice the fish into super thin slices about an 1/8-inch thick.

(Fresh Fish will be easier to slice and hold its shape better when cooking. Also, fillets with skin are preferred. The skin is not only more traditional but also helps the Fish retain its shape and have better texture).

2.) Place the Fish slices in a bowl and add the Salt along with the Water. Gently wash the Fish slices under the water for about 1 minute to clean them. Drain the Water completely, refill the bowl with fresh Water, Drain, and repeat once more.

3.) Add the Shaoxing Rice Wine, Salt, and Egg White to the Fish, gently mixing by hand until every piece is thoroughly coated. Add the Corn Starch, mix again by hand, and allow the Fish to rest for about 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

4.) Prepare the Vegetables, placing them all in the separate bowls:

• Mushrooms: Slice the Mushrooms into 1/2-inch-thick strips.
• Celery: Cut the Celery into 2-inch-long pieces, place them in a bowl, and dust them with Salt. (This is especially important if using Western Celery. Before stir-frying, rinse off the excess Salt and shake off the excess water).
• Bean Sprouts: Simply wash the Bean Sprouts and shake them dry.

5.) Prepare the Aromatics, placing them all into the same bowl:

• Roughly mince the Pickled Red Chilies.
• Peel, smash, and mince the Garlic. (The Garlic for the Chili-Oil Toppings and the Garnishes can also be prepared at this time).
• Peel, smash, and mince the Ginger.

6.) Prepare the Chili-Oil Toppings, placing the ingredients in neat piles on a plate:

• Dried Red Chilies: Snip the Red Chilies into 1/2-inch-pieces and discard most of the seeds. Place the Red Chili pieces in a neat pile on the plate.
• Small Scallion: Cut the Small Scallion, separating the white stalks from the green stalks. Set the green stalks aside. Thinly slice the white stalks and set the slices on the plate.
• Garlic: If not already completed, peel and mince 2 large cloves of Garlic. Then, add them to the plate.
• Cilantro: Wash a small bunch of Cilantro and shake off any excess water. Cut the bunch in half setting aside the leafy portion. Finely slice the bottom half with the stems and place them in a neat pile on the plate.
• Mala Chili Flakes: Prepare them according to the recipe in the Essentials section of this book if not already made. Place the Mala Chili Flakes in a neat pile on the edge of the plate.
• Sesame Seeds: Add the Sesame Seeds to the plate in a neat pile next to the Mala Chili Flakes.

7.) Prepare the Garnishes, placing them together on a plate:

• Small Scallion: Finely slice the green stalks of Scallion and place them in a neat pile on the plate.
• Cilantro: Roughly chop the leafy half of the Cilantro and place them on the plate.
• Garlic: Peel, smash, and mince 1 clove of Garlic if not already completed and add it to the plate.
• Sichuan Pepper: Freshly grind the Sichuan Peppercorns into a fine powder and add it in a neat pile on the plate.

(There should now be 5 main components: the Fish, the Vegetables, the Aromatics, the Chili-Oil Toppings, and the Garnishes).

8.) Heat a seasoned wok over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil. When the Oil is super-hot and nearly smoking, add the Vegetables, one after the other, along with a pinch of the Aromatics. Stir-fry them for about 1 minute until tender-crisp. Add just a pinch of salt, if needed, to taste and then arrange them in the bottom of the serving dish. Discard the leftover oil in the wok after cooking all of the Vegetables and quickly clean out the wok if necessary.

(For the Vegetables, I recommend adding them one at a time. First, add the Mushrooms and stir-fry them just a few seconds to remove excess water. Then, add the Celery and, likewise, stir-fry them until much of the water has evaporated. Finally, add the Bean Sprouts and cook them just until tender-crisp. Another faster method is simply to blanch all of the Vegetables in boiling water before adding them to the serving dish).

9.) Return the wok to heat, add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil, and heat on medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining Aromatics to the wok and stir-fry them for just a few seconds until fragrant.

10.) Pull the wok away from the heat and add the Chili Bean Paste, mixing it for just a few seconds using the residual heat from the wok. Then, return the wok to heat and stir-fry everything just a few seconds until the paste emulsifies with the Oil.

11.) Add the Water and Fish Stock to the wok, increase the heat to high, and bring everything to a boil for about 3 minutes. During this time, you can optionally use a wire strainer to remove any large pieces of Aromatics for a cleaner soup. Then, stir in all of the Sauces and Seasonings (Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, Salt, MSG, and White Pepper).

12.) Reduce the heat to medium, keeping the Soup at a very gentle boil. Carefully slide the Fish slices into the Soup and stir gently, separating the pieces. Boil the Fish slices for only about 15 seconds until the pieces are just cooked. Quickly use a large slotted spoon to scoop the Fish slices out of the Soup and arrange them in the middle of the serving dish on top of the Vegetables.

(DO NOT OVERCOOK THE FISH! Remember, the Fish slices will continue to cook after being transferred to the serving dish as well as when the Soup and hot Oil are added).

13.) Carefully pour the hot Soup in around the sides and sprinkle the Chili-Oil Toppings over the Fish, adding most to the center.

(Add most of the Chili-Oil Toppings to the center of the dish, because the hot Oil will spread them the edges of the Soup. The hot Oil will turn these toppings into an extremely fragrant Chili Oil on the surface of the Soup. Bring the dish to the table if wanting to show-off the sizzling Oil).

14.) Quickly switch to a deep skillet, small sauce pan, or clean wok and add 2 cups of Peanut Oil. Heat the Oil until nearly smoking, go quickly to the dish, and ladle the hot Oil over the Chili-Oil Toppings until a nice layer of sizzling Oil covers the entire dish.

(Not all of this Oil needs to be used, but at least 1 cup of it should be added. There should be a decent layer of Oil on top of the dish. Everything will sizzle dramatically as the Oil fuses the flavors of the Toppings with the Soup. Obviously, be safe when adding hot Oil to the dish).

15.) Finally, add the Garnishes (Green Sichuan Pepper, Garlic, Scallion, and Cilantro) in the order listed and serve the Spicy Boiled Fish along with individual bowls of white rice.

 

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