Suan Cai Yu (Sichuan Pickled Mustard Greens Fish Stew)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
A Sichuan fish soup that gets its sourness from rinsed pickled mustard greens and its heat from dried chilies and chili oil.
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Thin slices of white fish, lightly coated in starch, turn silky and soft in the red broth.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Slice 500 g white fish into thin, broad pieces and pat them dry.
Coat evenly with 1 tbsp starch, then spread the slices out so they do not clump before they go into the broth.
- 2
Rinse 200 g pickled mustard greens once to soften the saltiness, then cut them into bite-size pieces.
Keep a little pickling liquid aside so you can brighten the broth later if it tastes flat.
- 3
Warm 2 tbsp chili oil in a pot over low heat.
Add 4 cloves garlic, 20 g ginger, and 8 dried chilies, stirring until the oil smells fragrant but the aromatics have not darkened or burned.
- 4
Add the mustard greens and stir-fry over medium heat for 2 minutes so their sour flavor seasons the oil.
Pour in 900 ml stock, bring it to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- 5
Slide the fish slices into gently bubbling broth and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Check that the thickest piece reaches 63C (145F) in the center, continuing if needed. Avoid hard stirring so the slices stay intact.
- 6
Taste the broth, and if it needs more tang, add 1-2 tbsp of the reserved pickling liquid.
Transfer the stew before the fish breaks apart, keeping the slices on top, and serve hot.
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