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Spicy Sichuan Fish

Spicy Sichuan fish, served in a white shallow bowl.
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5 from 2 reviews

This Spicy Sichuan Fish is a bit of a twist on Sichuan Boiled Fish, or shui zhu yu. Traditionally, the dish is all about tender fish poached in a spicy broth loaded with Sichuan peppercorns and dried chillies, followed by a hit of sizzling hot oil to bring everything to life. My version stays true to the bold, punchy flavours but is a bit more streamlined, making it easier to whip up when you’re after a flavour-packed meal with minimal fuss. It’s fiery, aromatic, and perfect with a bowl of steamed rice to soak up that incredible broth.

  • Author: zenak
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the fish:

  • 250g fish fillets (any firm-fleshed white fish will work here, e.g. cod, tilapia, halibut and snapper)
  • ½ tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
  • ½ tbsp Shaoxing wine

For the broth:

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 spring onion, whites and greens separated, thinly sliced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced or minced
  • 10g fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 tbsp toban djan (aka chilli bean paste, see Notes below for substitutions)
  • ½ tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 400ml chicken or fish stock

For the chilli oil:

  • 10 dried chillies, cut into bite sized pieces (adjust to taste, see Notes below)
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. An important note before you start cooking: once the fish is marinated, this dish comes together in less than 15 minutes, so it’s important to have all your ingredients prepped while the fish is marinating. Moreover, this dish is best served immediately, so have your sides ready!
  2. Cut the fish diagonally into 1cm-thick slices.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch, Shaoxing wine and a pinch of salt. Add the fish slices and gently toss to coat.
  4. Let the fish marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes. This process, called velveting, tenderises the fish, giving it a silky texture.
  5. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or sauté pan set over a medium-high heat. Add the spring onion whites, garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 1 minute, then stir in the toban djan and cook for a further 30 seconds.
  6. Add the stock, oyster sauce and sugar, then stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, place the dried chillies, star anise, cinnamon stick, Sichuan peppercorns, and vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Set it aside to heat later.
  8. After the broth has simmered, add the marinated fish slices. Stir gently to combine, then bring the broth back to a simmer.
  9. The fish will cook through in just 2 to 3 minutes, and the broth will thicken slightly from the cornstarch in the marinade. Remove the wok from the heat and top with the spring onion greens.
  10. Heat the saucepan with the chilli oil mixture over medium-high heat until the ingredients start to sizzle and release their fragrance, then immediately pour the hot oil over the spring onions and fish.
  11. Stir gently to combine then serve immediately. This dish is best enjoyed with steamed rice to soak up the broth, alongside steamed greens for balance.

Notes

  1. You can find toban djan (chilli bean paste) in most Asian supermarkets, or in the World Foods aisle of larger supermarkets. If you’re in the UK, it’s also available on Ocado. If you can’t find it, chilli garlic sauce makes a good substitute – the flavour won’t be exactly the same, but it will still be delicious!
  2. To dial down the spice level, you can halve the amount of chilli bean paste, deseed the dried chillies, or simply reduce the number of chillies used.

Find it online: https://zenaskitchen.com/spicy-sichuan-fish/

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