Szechuan style fish stew with pickled mustard greens. This is not a famous dish but I feel something like it is my responsibility to introduce this dish to Szechuan style food lovers.
This dish belongs to the classic Shui Zhu dishes. As a sister dish to Szechuan style water boiled spicy fish, it is available in almost every Sichuan style restaurant inside China. I searched a lot concerning about this dish for finding some basic options about this dish but ended my search with nothing. Then I guess one main problem might be the pickled mustard green, which is the most important ingredient in this fish stew.
Firstly in case you are new reader to this blog, I would introduce the background. There are many pickled vegetables in Sichuan cuisine. We have pickled chili peppers named as “ pao jiao” and other pickled vegetables like pickled cucumber, pickled cabbage and this pickled mustard green as “ suan cai”. In order to make this yummy suan cai yu at home, you need to go out searching for some packaged suan cai or find some fresh Chinese mustard green and pickle them at home according to this recipe: pickled mustard green. It is not so time consuming and healthier.
Instructions
How to prepare the fish|Wash the fish carefully and separate the bones and fish fillet. Then slice the fillet into really thin slices and cut the bones into large sections. Separate the fish pieces and the bones.
Add salt in fish meat and bones. Mix for a while until the meat becomes sticky. Then wash the fish slices until they become almost transparent. Transfer out and drain. This step helps to remove any odd taste and give the meat a lovely texture. Repeat the process and clean the fish bones too.
Marinade the fish bones and fish fillet slices with salt, cornstarch and white pepper powder. Set aside.
Fry mustard green and aromatics | Add a small amount of oil in wok and fry mustard green until dried and place dried chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorn. Continue heating until aromatic. Pour extra oil and fry garlic, ginger and green onion white section until aromatic too. Transfer out.
Make the broth| Clean the wok and re-heat some oil, add the fish head and bones and fry until slightly browned. Place the fried mustard green in. Pour in 800ml hot water. Let the broth simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer the solid content to serving plate.
Cook the fish| add fish slices in and cook for 30 seconds until they turn white. Transfer out immediately.
The highlights| add chopped garlic, Sichuan peppercorn and chopped green onions. Pour around 2 tablespoons of hot oil. Serve hot!
Szechuan Fish-Suan Cai Yu
Ingredients
- 1 fresh fish around 800g to 1000g
- 1 cup pickled mustard green
- 5 picked peppers , optional
- 10 whole Sichuan peppercorn seeds
- 10 dried pepper flakes or more as needed
- 5 green onions
- 1 inch root ginger , sliced
- 4 garlic cloves , sliced and minced
- 800 ml water or as needed
Marinating
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp. white pepper powder
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 4 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil
- 2 tbsp. starch
Instructions
Prepare the fish
- How to prepare the fish|Wash the fish carefully and separate the bones and fish fillet. Then slice the fillet into really thin slices and cut the bones into large sections. Separate the fish pieces and the bones.
- Add salt in fish meat and bones. Mix for a while until the meat becomes sticky. Then wash the fish slices until they become almost transparent. Transfer out and drain. This step helps to remove any odd taste and give the meat a lovely texture. Repeat the process and clean the fish bones too.
- Marinade the fish bones and fish fillet slices with salt, egg white, cornstarch and white pepper powder. Set aside.
Fry mustard green and aromatics
- Add a small amount of oil in wok and fry mustard green until dried and place dried chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorn. Continue heating until aromatic. Pour extra oil and fry garlic, ginger and green onion white section until aromatic too. Transfer out.
Make the broth
- Clean the wok and re-heat some oil, add the fish head and bones and fry until slightly browned. Place the fried mustard green in. Pour in 800ml hot water. Let the broth simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer the solid content to serving plate.
Cook the fish
- Add fish slices in and cook for 30 seconds until they turn white. Transfer out immediately.
The highlight – pouring oil
- Top with chopped garlic, Sichuan peppercorn and chopped green onions. Pour around 2 tablespoons of hot oil. Serve hot!
Notes
Nutrition
“4. Heat up around 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a large wok, fry garlic, ginger, green onions and whole Sichuan peppercorn for around 1 to 2 minutes or until aroma. Add pickled mustard green for another minute. Pour around 2L of fresh cold water and mushrooms, simmer the soup for around 20 minutes. Taste the soup and add salt accordingly.
5. Pick the bones out and cook the in the soup prepared I previous step for around 5 minutes. Transfer all the content expects the soup to your serving bowl.”
Sorry, I’m a bit confused – we’re supposed to pick the bones out in step 5, but form where? Were we supposed to put the fish bones in the wok in step 4?
Hello, I’m writing with a question. There is a very spicy condiment I buy from my favorite local Chinese restaurant. The woman who makes is is very sweet but speaks little English. She calls it spicy chili with green peppers. It had a few fermented black beans ( not black bean sauce) and pickles radish I believe. If you could tell me the name, or how it’s made I would be eternally grateful. I have been trying to find it on the web for years. I do have a photograph of it, if that might help you identify it? Thank you so much.
Sure, a picture will be extremely helpful. You can send it to me via facebook or instagram
Hello, I’m writing with a question. There is a very spicy condiment I buy from my favorite local Chinese restaurant. The woman who makes is is very sweet but speaks little English. She calls it spicy chili with green peppers. It’s dry and doesn’t contain oil at all. It had has a few fermented black beans ( not black bean sauce) and pickled radish I believe. If you could tell me the name, or how it’s made I would be eternally grateful. I have been trying to find it on the web for years. I do have a photograph of it, if that might help you identify it? Thank you so much.
I am so happy to find a recipe for this dish. I lived in China for almost two years and this was my FAVORITE food!! (di san xian was my other favorite — which is also hard to find a recipe for.) I’m going to try making this recipe this weekend. Thank you SO SO much for sharing so I can share with all the Americans who have been missing out on this amazing soup!!!.
Thanks Katy. I hope it works for you.
Hello from Europe! I just made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! Incredibly subtle flavors and textures, definitely going to be making this more often now. Many thanks for introducing me to this lesser-known dish.
Thank you, Dorothy!
Tai hao chi le!!
I was in a market nd saw the pickled greens so i decided it was time to make the soup. This was like comfort food living in Chengdu.
I stuck to the bassic recipe but I added Thai Chilies with the aromatics. In addition the oil pour was done with a lot more pepper flakes and more peppercorns, as the soup in China had significant heat.
A definite winner and so quick and easy to make.
Xie xie Ni
Thanks Richard! Happy cooking.
I discovered this dish at a local Szechuan restaurant and loved it. Thus recipe is spot on – delicious, flavorful, quick and healthy. I usually defrost some frozen swai fish filets.
Thanks Cabrielle for trying!
I am confused about Step 5 too…but I guess I would put the bones in at the same time as the pickled mustard and simmer for 20-25 min rather than just 5 minutes
In preparing the fish:
Step 3: Marinate the fish there is no mention of the egg white although “egg white” is listed in the ingredients.
What does the egg white do and is it used?
Elaine: Please explain.
Thank You, Sue
Sue,
Yes, I recommend adding egg white. Sorry I missed it in instruction.
I have been using pickled mustard greens in small packets
but I find them not enough sour for this dish. I noticed that you
also recommended mustard and perhaps I should try to add more
sourness with mustard.
Our Sichuan style pickled mustard green is quite sour while northern salt pickled version is not so sour. You can try to make pickled peppers or mustard green at home and try to use the homemade version.