I didn’t have much exposure to Szechuan food when I lived in Asia. Probably because Szechuan cuisine wasn’t as popular back then, but it sure has gained lots of popularity in recent years. Since I moved to Minnesota, I’ve love love..Szechuan dishes (hint: hot spicy food). But of course, not all Szechuan dishes are spicy, majority are. I feel like I need to learn to make few of my favorite Szechuan dishes in this life of mine. So, I can check them off the list 😉 This Szechuan water-boiled fish or known as Shui Ju Yu is one of my favorite dishes. We love it so much that we almost ordered this dish every time we go to Grand Szechuan Restaurant. The tender fish fillet (thanks to the corn starch and egg white application) is swimming in a spicy broth. But to be honest with you, it looks “scarier” in terms of the level of spicyness than it actually is. Still spicy, but it’s not deadly spicy 🙂 The list of ingredients are pretty long I’m aware of that, but they aren’t difficult to find and the actually cooking itself isn’t complicated.
If you or anyone you know fancy hot spicy dish, well…. this will fit the bill perfectly. Such a warming dish in this frozen tundra! It’s not for the faint of heart though 😉
For baking/ kueh making: I highly encourage to weigh ingredients with a digital kitchen scale instead of using measuring cups as they are not very accurate especially when it comes to recipe that requires precision.
GRAMS TO CUPS CONVERSION (UNSIFTED)INGREDIENTS
- 1 Tbsp of Shao Xing wine
- 3 Tbsp of corn starch
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 egg white - beaten
- 1 lb of white fish fillet - very thinly sliced
Soup base
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 2 cups of water
- 3 Tbsp of broad bean paste - dou ban jiang
- 2- inch ginger - peeled and and bruised
- 5 cloves garlic - peeled and finely minced
- 3 stalks of green onion - separate white and green. cut the white into 1-inch pieces and finely chopped the green parts
- 1/2 Tbsp of Szechuan peppercorns
- 10 dried red chili
- 1 large zucchini - peeled, cut horizontally into two pieces and then halved lengthwise then halved again and thinly sliced
- Salt to taste
Other ingredients:
- 8 oz of soft tofu - cut into small cubes
- 2 cups of mung bean sprouts
Garnishes:
- 1/2 cup of cooking oil
- 1/2 Tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
- 10 dried red chili
- Finely chopped green onion
- Fresh cilantro leaves - roughly chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the wine, corn starch, salt, beaten egg white in a mixing bowl and stir to mix everything. Add in the fish slices and toss to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate to let it marinade for 30 minutes
- Prepare the soup base by pouring 2 cups of chicken stock and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and then add in the dou ban jiang, ginger, garlic, green onion, dried chili and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Add in the zucchini slices and bring back to a boil. When it boils, slide in in the marinated fish slices and don't stir yet. Let the fish turn into opaque color. Have a taste of the soup. Season with salt to your taste. Add in the tofu and let it cook for another minute. Turn off the heat . Lay the bean sprouts on the bottom of the soup tureen and set aside. Ladle the hot soup along with fishes, tofu, and zucchini over the beansprouts
- Pour in 1/2 cup of cooking oil onto a small to medium skillet on medium to high heat. When the oil is hot enough, add in the rest of the Szechuan peppercorns and dried chili. Let them fry a bit but be careful not to burn them. Remove from the heat and pour this hot oil over the soup along with the peppercorns and chili. Garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately as main course with some rice and other sides
