
Suan Cai Yu
A classic Sichuan dish featuring tender fish slices cooked with pickled mustard greens in a spicy and sour broth.
Spicy:
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Ingredients
- 500g fish fillets (such as basa or perch)
- 200g pickled mustard greens
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small piece ginger, sliced
- 2 green onions, cut into sections
- 1 tablespoon doubanjiang (fermented bean paste)
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 4 cups water or broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 egg white (optional, for marinating fish)
Steps
- Marinate the fish slices with salt, white pepper, cooking wine, and cornstarch for 10 minutes. Add egg white for extra tenderness if desired.
- Rinse the pickled mustard greens, chop them, and squeeze out excess water.
- Heat oil in a pot, then sauté garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant.
- Add doubanjiang and stir-fry until the oil turns red. Then add the pickled mustard greens and stir well.
- Pour in water or broth, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Gently add the marinated fish slices one by one and cook until they turn white and float (about 2-3 minutes).
- Sprinkle with green onions, turn off the heat, and serve.
Tips
Do not overcook the fish slices to keep them tender. Adjust the spiciness to your preference.