Go Back
Shui zhu yu (water-boiled fish) from The Mala Market
Print Recipe

Water-Boiled Fish With Tofu (Shuizhuyu)

Author: Taylor Holliday | The Mala Market | Inspiration & Ingredients for Sichuan Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 pound white fish fillets (catfish, red snapper, grouper, etc.)
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 3 teaspoons green and/or red Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1½ cups Sichuan dried chilies, snipped in 2-3 sections, seeds mostly discarded
  • 8 scallions, cut diagonally in 2-inch pieces
  • 2 cups mung bean sprouts
  • 3 tablespoons ginger, thinly sliced
  • 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 3 cups chicken or fish broth
  • 3 tablespoons Pixian doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
  • 2 tablespoons Chinese light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
  • 10 ounces soft tofu (not silken)
  • ⅓ cup canola or other neutral oil
  • Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  • Mix egg white, corn starch and 1 tablespoon wine in a medium bowl until smooth. Cut fillets in large bite-size pieces and add to marinade.
  • Heat wok until moderately hot and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the snipped chilies and peppercorns and stir-fry until fragrant and toasty but not browned. Remove and reserve.
  • And another tablespoon of oil to the wok, and stir-fry scallions until they wilt and begin to brown. Add bean sprouts and stir-fry until just cooked. Remove vegetables to a large, broad serving bowl.
  • Wipe out wok, return to heat until hot and add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry briefly. Add chicken broth, chili bean paste, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons wine and bring to a boil.
  • Spoon the soft tofu directly into the broth by large spoonfuls. Pour off any extra marinade from the fish, lower the pieces into the broth and simmer, turning the fish and tofu very gently in the sauce, until fish is just cooked through. Remove from heat and carefully pour the mixture over the other ingredients in the serving bowl.
  • Heat up 1/3 cup oil until hot but not smoking, around 300°F. Scatter the chili and peppercorn mixture over the top of the fish, and pour the hot oil over the top of the serving bowl, which will sizzle as it hits the broth. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately with rice. Diners should pluck fish, tofu and vegetables out with chopsticks or spoon, leaving oil, chilies and peppercorns behind.