Sichuan Boiled Fish (Shui Zhu Yu, 水煮鱼)

Name: Sichuan Boiled Fish (Shui Zhu Yu, 水煮鱼)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 pound fish fillets ((such as tilapia, catfish, flounder, carp, or snakehead)); 3/4 teaspoon salt ((plus more salt to taste)); ½ teaspoon ground white pepper ((divided)); 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine ((divided)); 1 egg white; 1½ tablespoons cornstarch; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil ((plus an additional ½ to ¾ cups)); 3 cups chicken stock; 2 cups water; 5 slices ginger; 3 cloves garlic ((thinly sliced)); 2 scallions ((cut into 2-inch lengths)); 3/4 pound soybean sprouts; 15 grams dried red chili peppers ((1/2 cup, de-seeded and chopped)); 10 grams green Sichuan peppercorns ((ma jiao 麻椒, 3 tablespoons))

Instructions

Prep:30minCook:10min

Sichuan Boiled Fish, or shui zhu yu, is a very popular dish in China's Sichuan specialty restaurants. This Sichuan boiled fish is heavy on the oil, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried red chili peppers, all used to flavor the delicate fresh fish filets at the center of this dish.

Updated at: Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:15:54 GMT