Boiled Fish-Sichuan–Shui Zhu Yu Recipe

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!