Spicy food lovers! If you enjoy the flavors of Sichuan cuisine, I have a new recipe you are absolutely going to love. I discovered the recipe in one of my favorite Sichuan cookbooks (listed below), and once I saw the name, I knew I had to make it my own and share it with you. It is called Shuizhu Yu, or “Boiled Fish in a Seething Sea of Chilies”. Talk about perfection! How could I not share this? It’s a fairly simple recipe with complex flavors, with strips of white fish lightly poached in a simmering broth flavored with stir fried dried chili peppers, mouth numbing Sichuan peppercorns, and sizzling hot chili oil, served over bean sprouts. You’ll have the recipe done in 30 minutes or less, and there isn’t much prep in the kitchen, perfect for a slow cook like me. The focus is absolutely on the flavor and the heat of the chilies, accentuated by the hot chili oil sizzling over the top, a modernist take on the more classic dish of water-boiled beef. I’ve adapted this recipe to just how I like to make it, and I hope you love as much as I do. Let’s talk about how to make Shuizhu Yu (Boiled Fish in a Seething Sea of Chilies), shall we? Serve it Up! Pour the sizzling hot chili oil over the serving bowls, then garnish wish spicy chili flakes and fresh chopped green onion. Serve sizzling hot! Marinate the Fish. Whisk the marinade ingredients together then pour over the fish. Marinate at least 5 minutes, or up to 30 minutes or 1 hour, refrigerated. This will support the fish. Stir Fry the Doubanjiang and Aromatics. Add final tablespoon vegetable oil (if needed) and doubanjiang to the wok or pan and stir fry for 1 minute (doubanjiang will darken), then add garlic, ginger, green onion, fried dried chilies, and peppercorns. Stir fry 1 more minute. Add Water/Stock and Simmer. Add water (or fish stock) and salt to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add to Bowls. Pour the soup/broth into the serving bowls. Sizzle the Chili Oil. Heat the wok back to medium-high heat. Add the hot chili oil and heat for 1 minute, or until it starts to sizzle. Boom! Done! Your shuizhu yu is ready to serve. Doesn’t it just look and smell wonderful? This is seriously a spicy food lover’s dream recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do. That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this Shuizhu Yu recipe. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up! Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
The Food of Sichuan, by Fuchsia Dunlop (affiliate link, my friends!)
