Sichuan Boiled Fish aka Shui Zhu Yu, is one of the most traditional and famous Sichuan dishes you could make. Fish is cut into thin slices then boiled in the soup. The soup is made with Sichuan chili bean paste (doubanjiang) and aromatics such as ginger, garlic and green onion. This dish is not too difficult to make but it involves a few steps. However it is totally worth it because the aroma from the chilies and Sichuan peppercorn will absolutely wow your guest!
If you love Sichuan fish recipes, check out this one: Fish Soup with Pickled Mustard Greens
What fish is best for Sichuan boiled fish?
There is no requirement as long as it is a white fish and the fish is tender after boiled. Some examples include tilapia, swai, cat fish and sea bass.
What is “water boiled” fish?
So water boiled or “shui zhu” involves a very common technique in Sichuan cooking. The chef will make a broth using Sichuan chili bean paste with stock, this is the “water”. Then marinated meat will be cooked in the broth quickly, this is the “boil”. Then the dish is topped with dry chilies and Sichuan peppers followed by smoking hot oil. Water boil method can be used for pork, beef and fish in Sichuan cooking. 
How long does it take to boil fish?
It takes about 1 minute after the soup boils to cook the fish fillet.
Knife Edge Chilies (刀口辣椒）
Knife edge chilies are made with dry chilies and Sichuan peppercorn. Drop 1 handful of dry chilies and 2 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn in a wok on medium low heat. Roast with a little oil. Take out when the chilies starts to change color. Finely chop the chilies and Sichuan peppercorn on a cutting board.
Veggies
For this dish, the most traditional veggies used are celtuce (also called stem lettuce), soy beansprouts, celery. Of course, you can substitute with other leafy lettuce.
Watch Full Video Instruction:
Ingredients
Method
- Slice the fish fillet. Pat dry with a paper towel. Find the tail of the fish fillet, slice at an angle towards it. Keep the fish slices thin to give the best texture when cooked.
- Marinate sliced ginger and scallion with some shaoxing wine. Mix well and set aside
- Bring the sliced fish fillet into a container. Season with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper powder, then drop in some of the marinated shaoxing wine, about 2 tbsp. Mix and massage well so that the fish slices fully marinate in the sauce. Drop in 1.5 tbsp corn starch and mix. At this point the fish fillet should be slightly dry. Add 1 egg white and mix. Egg white helps maintain the shape of fish slices when cooked so they are less likely to break. Top with some oil, mix and set aside.
- Chop off the leafy part of celtuce. Cut in half then cut into slices. For the stem part of celtuce, first peel the skin, then cut into slices. Chop celery into thin slices at an angle. Set veggies aside.
- Smack the garlic cloves, then cut into fine pieces. Take out about 1 tbsp for toppings later. Put the rest into a container. Chop ginger into small pieces. Cut scallion white and set aside with ginger and garlic.
- Prepare knife edge chilies. Drop dry chilies and peppercorn into a wok on medium low heat, slowly roast with a little oil. When the chilies just start to change color, transfer to a cutting board. Start chopping chilies and Sichuan peppers with a knife until they become corse fine pieces. Set aside for later use.
- Stir fry the veggies. In a wok, add oil. Drop in the veggies. Stir fry and season with salt. When the veggies are 80% cooked, take out and set them at the bottom of a large serving bowl.
- Add oil to the wok again, drop in Sichuan Chili bean paste. Stir until red oil comes out. Drop in aromatics. Stir until fragrant. Add in 3 cups of stock or water. Stir and let it boil for 3 -4 minutes. Take out the solid contents with a strainer. Season the soup with salt and white pepper powder. Mix well. Start adding fish slices to the soup. Use chopsticks to stir lightly so the fish slices aren’t sticking together.
- Fish fillet will be ready in about 1 minute after the soup boils. Take out the fish with a strainer and lay on top of the veggies. Then add the rest of the soup to the serving bowl.
- Top with knife edge chilies and chopped garlic. Garnish with extra whole chiles. Heat oil to smoking hot and pour on top of the chilies. You should hear the sizzle.
- Garnish with some chopped green onion and cilantro. Serve.
Love this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!
I did have a question. You marinate the ginger and scallion in Shaoxing wine, and pour 2 tbls over the fish, what is done with the rest?
Great question! You can discard the rest or use it for other dishes! It’s a restaurant style prep method so the shaoxing wine can be used for multiple dishes. But for home cooking, you can prepare a little less for just one dish.