Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (2024)

Last Modified: by Elaine| 37 Comments

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If you are familiar with Sichuan cuisine or Sichuan style dishes, I believe that most of you have heard about the boiled series of Sichuan cuisine or in Chinese, we call “水煮,shuizhu” series and for the literal translation water boiled, but not the same with blanching. This boiling is full of flavor.

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (1)

There are lot of famous water boiled dishes in Sichuan cuisine including boiled fish (boiled fish slices); water boiled sliced pork, boiled beef. Most of the dishes use slices rather than wedges or cubes because in order to keep the meat as tender as possible, the cooking time should be limited to just several minutes.

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (2)

The soup base is really important for boiled fish and other water boiled dishes. And the essential ingredient for the soup base isDoubanjiangor broad bean paste anddou-chi.I strongly recommend using pixian doubanjiang which might be available in Asia stores or you can purchase from amazon:Sichuan / Pixian / Pi Xian Broad Bean Paste 16OZ (454g).Basically, broad bean paste is stir-fried with ginger, garlic and the white part of green onion, and then clean water is added. During the process, slow fire is used to simmer the taste of Doubanjiang out and make the soup base tasty.
Time flies, this recipe is firstly published in 2014 and now 7 years passed. I used to use fresh water fish like grass carp or snakehead fish. But I choose Basa fillet this time because it is more friendly to those who are not good at removing the fishbones.

Prepare the chili pepper and Sichuan Peppercorn

Heat 12 to 20 dried chili peppers with slow fire for half minute and then add 1 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorn in wok until slightly aromatic. Move out, cool down and then roughly chop.

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (3)

Steps

Cut the fillet into thin slices and then marinate with all marinating sauce. Set aside for 30 minutes or even longer. Then add cornstarch and mix well before making the dish.

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (4)

Add oil in wok and fry the doubanjiang over slow fire until the oil turns red. Then place garlic, ginger and scallion in and fry until aromatic.

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (5)

Then add dou-chi, Sichuan peppercorn and toasted chili pepper (half). Continue cooking for half minutes.

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (6)

Load the wok with around 4 cups of water. Let the base simmer for 10 minutes over slow fire.

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (7)

During this period, take another pot and blanch bean sprouts for 1 minutes and then place in the bottom of serving bowl to support fish slices. Then place the fish slices in and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the fish slices to serving bowl.

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (8)

Add soup base to serving bowl, recommend using a filter to remove the doubanjiang flakes.

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (9)

Add the remaining chili pepper flakes, Sichuan peppercorn, chopped garlic and chopped scallion on top. Pour around 2 tablespoons of hot oil on top. Serve hot!

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (10)
Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (11)

Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (12)

Sichuan Boiled Fish

Famous Sichuan style boiled fish slices - also known as Shui Zhu Yu.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main dish

Cuisine: Sichuan cuisine

Servings: 2

Calories: 604kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 g fish fillet
  • 200 g bean sprouts

Marinating

  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. cooking wine
  • 1 tbsp. egg white
  • 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
  • ½ tsp. ground white pepper
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch

Soup Base

  • 2 tbsp. cooking oil , divided
  • 2 tbsp. doubanjiang
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 inch root ginger
  • half fo the fried Sichuan peppercorn
  • 1 tsp. dou-chi , optional
  • half of fried the peppers
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 cups water

Topping

  • fried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorn
  • 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp. chopped green onion
  • 2 tbsp. hot oil

Instructions

  • Prepare fish |Cut the fillet into thin slices and then marinate with all marinating sauce. Set aside for 30 minutes or even longer. Then add cornstarch and mix well before making the dish.

  • Fry the pepper and Sichuan peppercorn|Heat 12 to 20 dried chili peppers with slow fire for half minute and then add 1 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorn in wok until slightly aromatic. Move out, cool down and then roughly chop.

  • Add oil in wok and fry the doubanjiang over slow fire until the oil turns red. Then place garlic, ginger and scallion in and fry until aromatic. Then add dou-chi, Sichuan peppercorn and toasted chili pepper (half). Continue cooking for half minutes.

  • Load the wok with around 4 cups of water. Let the base simmer for 10 minutes over slow fire.

  • During this period, take another pot and blanch bean sprouts for 1 minutes and then place in the bottom of serving bowl to support fish slices. Then place the fish slices in and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the fish slices to serving bowl.

  • Add soup base to serving bowl, recommend using a filter to remove the doubanjiang flakes.

  • Add the remaining chili pepper flakes, Sichuan peppercorn, chopped garlic and chopped scallion on top. Pour around 2 tablespoons of hot oil on top. Serve hot!

Notes

For those who love spicy very much, you can sprinkle some chili powder on top before pouring the hot oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 604kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1435mg | Potassium: 1054mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg

More fish and seafood

  • Clam Stir Fry with Black Bean Sauce
  • LaoGanMa Clams|Clams with Chili Sauce
  • Szechuan Shrimp Stir Fry
  • Kung Pao Shrimp (Kung Pao Prawn)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Fuyu

    In this summer my friends brought me to a Sichuan food restaurang in London. It was my first time to have sichuan food in my life! I was kind of shocked because the dishes were so tasty and it's huge different kind of umami from my home country Japan. I completely had no idea to cook those foods!
    But I'm happy to know your blog and recipes, and I like your fotos at Instagram!
    Thank you so much!

    Reply

  2. Maureen

    Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (17)
    Your videos and photos really help! Keep up the good work. I love your recipes.

    Reply

  3. Alex A

    I'm hoping to make this dish in the next few days. Are most people using water or broth? Is there a big difference?

    Reply

    • Elaine

      No big difference. Usually we use water directly but some high class restaurants use stock.

      Reply

  4. DawnZ

    Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (18)
    HI!I'm Dawn.Thanks for providing us such a useful recipe.I love Sichuan food!!Rencently I am studying on a program about Chinese traditional dishes.Can I use this lovely recipe in my powerpoint?Looking forward to ur reply! :))

    Reply

  5. Arielle Schechter

    For vegans, Would this work with mushrooms instead of fish?

    Reply

    • Elaine

      Yes, perfectly! You can use a mix of mushrooms. Highly recommend oyster mushroom.

      Reply

  6. Eszter

    What is the reason why the original recipe was updated? I found the recipe with tsao ko more authentic.

    Reply

    • Elaine

      Eszter,
      I updated with my new recipe. You can watch the youtube video for the original version.

      Reply

  7. Bine

    Hello,

    it's impossible for me to find Douchi. Is there any substitute for it or should I simply leave it out?

    Reply

    • Elaine

      Bine, you can skip douchi if you cann't find them.

      Reply

  8. Rolf

    Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (19)
    Really love this one! We use Hailbutt for it and it turns out wonderful every time. Also wonderful for guests.

    Reply

    • Elaine

      Thank you Rolf for this wonderful feedback. I am so happy to know it. Happy cooking.

      Reply

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Boiled Fish-Sichuan--Shui Zhu Yu Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long should I boil fish for? ›

Arrange the fish in a wire basket, and submerge it in the pot. Wait for the water to return to a boil, which may take 2 to 3 minutes, and then allow the fish to boil until you can flake it easily with a fork, which should take approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

What is Shui Zhu Yu in English? ›

Literally, the Chinese name of Sichuan boil fish “Shui Zhu Yu (水煮鱼)” means water boiled fish. The marinated fish slices are poached briefly in seasoned water. They taste very tender, succulent and packed with flavour.

Where did Sichuan boiled fish come from? ›

The original inventor of the spicy boiled 水煮 method was 范吉安 Fàn Jíān, a chef in 自贡 Zìgòng city in Sichuan province. There are three regions of Sichuan with distinct culinary identities: 上河帮 (shàng hé bāng) Upper river style from 成都 Chéngdū 下河帮 (xià hé bāng) Lower river style from 重庆 Chóngqìng.

What fish is used in Chinese cooking? ›

Sea bass, grass carp, perch, grouper, catfish, flounder, etc. all work very well. Although traditional recipes call for white flesh fish, I find rainbow trout a great option too. No matter what fish you use, make sure it's as fresh as possible (straight out of a fisherman's net if possible).

Is boiling fish better than frying? ›

"It appears that boiling or baking fish with low-sodium soy sauce (shoyu) and tofu is beneficial, while eating fried, salted or dried fish is not," said Lixin Meng, M.S., lead researcher of the study and Ph. D.

What is shui zhu yu in Mandarin? ›

Sichuan Boiled Fish, or shui zhu yu, is a very popular dish in China's Sichuan specialty restaurants.

What does Zhu Bao mean in Chinese? ›

zhu bao : pearls, jewels,... : zhū bǎo | Definition | Mandarin Chinese Pinyin English Dictionary | Yabla Chinese.

What is the benefit of Wu Zhu Yu? ›

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, evodia is recognized as a Hot, Acrid herb used to Warm the Interior and ease pain. It is very commonly used to treat digestive disorders including acid reflux, stomach cramping, ulcers, diarrhea, and dysentery.

Why is it called Sichuan? ›

Names. It is commonly believed that the name Sichuan means "four rivers"; in folk etymology, this is usually taken to mean four of the province's major rivers: the Jialing, Jinsha (or Wu), Min, and Tuo.

Why is it called Szechuan? ›

Szechuan is the phonetic spelling which was used in the West before the romanization of Chinese (called pinyin) was adopted in the 1980s. In pinyin, it is spelt Sichuan. In Chinese, 四川 四 (si - meaning four) and 川 (chuan - meaning river). Sichuan is a province in South West (south central actually) China.

Where does Shui Zhu Yu come from? ›

Shuizhu (Chinese: 水煮; pinyin: shǔizhǔ, [ʂwěɪ ʈʂù ɻôʊ pʰjɛ̂n]) is a Chinese dish which originated from the cuisine of Sichuan province and the name literally means "water boiled (meat)".

What is the most famous fish in China? ›

Cyprinus carpio is the number one fish of aquaculture. The annual tonnage of common carp, not to mention the other cyprinids, produced in China exceeds the weight of all other fish, such as trout and salmon, produced by aquaculture worldwide.

Is fish from China healthy? ›

Your question is way to inclusive to accurately answer ---the answer is "it depends"----some fish can be perfectly safe to eat and other imports can be quite problematic.

What is the lucky fish in China? ›

The carp represents good luck in Chinese, and one of the reasons behind this is that the pronunciation of “fish” in Chinese sounds the same as “abundance”. At the Spring Festival banquet, fish is a traditional dish for many families signifying good wishes for the coming year.

Can you over boil fish? ›

Overcooked fish loses its natural moisture, which can result in a dry and chewy texture. The proteins in the fish also begin to tighten, which can make the fish tough and rubbery. In addition, overcooked fish can have a severe lack of flavor, as the heat causes the natural oils in the fish to evaporate.

Can you cook fish by boiling it? ›

Almost any fish may be gently cooked in heated liquid, such as wine, water, fish stock, or milk. Pour just enough liquid to cover the fish. Cover the pan tightly and cook fillets just below the boiling point. Cook fillets 8 to 10 minutes and whole fish 15 to 20 minutes.

Is boiling fish healthy? ›

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week as part of a healthy diet. Boiled fish can be a healthy and nutritious food choice with several potential health benefits, especially when prepared without excessive added fats or high-calorie sauces.

Can you overcook a seafood boil? ›

There are many different ways of preparing seafood boil and so many ingredients that you can use. A seafood boil is all about timing. If you boil too long, you risk overcooking the ingredients and ruining the taste.

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