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Sichuan Boiled Fish (Shui Zhu Yu)

Shui zhu yu, literally 'water-boiled fish', is one of Sichuan cuisine's great showstoppers. Don't let the name fool you — there's nothing plain about it. Delicate fish fillets are poached until silky in a mountain of bean sprouts and vegetables, then the whole bowl is drowned in a blazing hot chilli oil studded with dried chillies and numbing Sichuan peppercorns.

It looks dramatic (because it is), but the actual cooking is quite gentle — the fish is barely simmered so it stays tender, and all the fireworks happen at the very end when you pour sizzling hot oil over the chillies and garlic sitting on top. That sizzle is half the fun of the dish.

This is proper numbing, tingling, chilli-red Sichuan comfort food. Serve it with plenty of steamed rice to soak up the broth, and warn your guests it's spicier than it looks.

Servings
4
Prep Time
25
mins
Cook Time
20
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Ingredients
18
Total Time
45
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Pantry bits

  • Wok
  • Large heatproof serving bowl
  • Small saucepan for chilli oil
  • Fine mesh strainer

Ingredients

  • 500g firm white fish fillets (basa, ling or barramundi), thinly sliced
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • 1 cup sliced napa cabbage or bok choy
  • 3 tbsp doubanjiang (spicy bean paste)
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 cups chicken or fish stock
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil, for the chilli oil topping
  • 3 tbsp dried chillies, snipped
  • 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced, for topping
  • 2 spring onions, sliced, for topping
  • Coriander leaves, to garnish

Instructions

  1. Slice the fish into thin fillets and gently mix with the egg white, cornflour, Shaoxing wine and salt. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
  2. Blanch the bean sprouts and cabbage in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and arrange in the base of a large heatproof serving bowl.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry the doubanjiang, ginger and chopped garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the oil turns red.
  4. Pour in the stock, soy sauce and sugar, and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavours develop.
  5. Reduce the heat to low. Slide in the fish slices one at a time and poach gently for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through and opaque — do not boil hard or the fish will break up.
  6. Carefully ladle the fish and broth over the bean sprouts and cabbage in the serving bowl.
  7. Scatter the sliced garlic, dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns over the top of the fish.
  8. Heat the remaining 2/3 cup of oil in a small saucepan until just smoking, then carefully pour it over the chillies and peppercorns — it should sizzle loudly.
  9. Garnish with spring onion and coriander, and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Other recipes

Perkedel (Indonesian Potato Fritters)
Rawon (Javanese Black Beef Soup)
Nasi Uduk (Indonesian Coconut Rice)

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