Shui Zhu Yu (Sichuan Boiled Fish in Chili Broth)

Name: Shui Zhu Yu (Sichuan Boiled Fish in Chili Broth)
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sichuan & Hunan
Ingredients: 1½ lb cod or tilapia fillets, in ¼-inch slices; 1 egg white; 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, divided; 3 tbsp doubanjiang; ½ cup dried red chilies, halved; 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns; 4 garlic cloves, smashed; a 1-inch piece ginger, sliced; 4 green onions, in 1-inch pieces; 12 oz bean sprouts; 2 celery ribs, in sticks; 3 cups chicken broth; 1 tsp soy sauce; 1½ cups jasmine rice; ⅓ cup oil; 2 tsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp sugar; ½ tsp white pepper; ½ tsp salt

DinnerSichuan & Hunan45 minServes 4665 kcal44 g protein

Photo: Liu Nan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

A Sichuan showstopper: tender slices of white fish poached in a fiery doubanjiang broth over bean sprouts and celery, then finished with a crackle of hot oil over chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. It's numbing, aromatic and surprisingly quick.

Make it part of your week. MealTote sizes this recipe for everyone you cook for, adds it to a weekly meal plan and puts the ingredients on one grocery list split across your stores. Open it in MealTote

Ingredients

1½ lb cod or tilapia fillets, in ¼-inch slices
1 egg white
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, divided
3 tbsp doubanjiang
½ cup dried red chilies, halved
2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
4 garlic cloves, smashed
a 1-inch piece ginger, sliced
4 green onions, in 1-inch pieces
12 oz bean sprouts
2 celery ribs, in sticks
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp soy sauce
1½ cups jasmine rice

From your pantry: ⅓ cup oil, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp white pepper, ½ tsp salt.

Instructions

Start the rice. Toss the fish with the egg white, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, the cornstarch, salt and white pepper and let it sit 15 minutes.
In a dry pot over medium-low, toast the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant and a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Tip them out, cool, and roughly chop.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in the pot, add the bean sprouts and celery and stir-fry until barely tender, 2 minutes. Spread them in a deep serving bowl.
Add 2 tbsp oil to the pot with the doubanjiang, garlic, ginger and green onions and fry over medium until the oil turns red, 1 minute. Add the broth, remaining wine, sugar and soy and bring to a boil.
Lower to a gentle simmer, slide in the fish a few slices at a time and cook without stirring until just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the fish and broth over the vegetables.
Pile the chopped chilies and peppercorns on top. Heat the remaining oil until smoking and pour it over the spices so they sizzle. Serve right away with rice.

Tip: Spoon the fish and vegetables out of the broth rather than drinking it all; the chili broth is there for flavor. Pixian doubanjiang is the traditional brand, and Lee Kum Kee chili bean sauce works in a pinch.