Suan Cai Yu (酸菜鱼, Sichuan Fish with Pickled Mustard Greens)

November 25, 2024

2

Suan Cai Yu is a basic Sichuan dish that options tender flavorful fish slices in a wealthy scorching and bitter broth made with Chinese language pickled greens. This recipe shares the right way to recreate the genuine restaurant taste at dwelling utilizing a simplified technique.

Suan Cai Yu , or scorching and bitter fish with pickled mustard greens, is a basic Sichuan dish that’s much less identified outdoors of China. The fish is thinly sliced and poached in a wealthy broth made out of inventory flavored with peppers, ginger, garlic, and pickles. The fish has a velvety and silky texture, with a piquant and zesty style. The numbing tingling Sichuan peppercorns and bitter pickles will open your senses as quickly as you are taking your first chunk.

Suan cai yu won’t be acquainted to you. In truth, even in Chinese language eating places, it’s typically overshadowed by its sister dish – the numbingly spicy “Sichuan boiled fish” (水煮鱼, Shui Zhu Yu). However I guarantee you that you may be hooked on the wealthy taste instantly.

It makes an thrilling dinner dish that you’ll find actually satisfying on a cold day, or an beautiful important dish to serve in your subsequent Chinese language banquet.

Sichuan Fish with Pickled Mustard Greens

Find out how to cook dinner Suan Cai Yu the genuine approach

For many Chinese language cooks, that is the one approach to cook dinner Suan Cai Yu is to:

Store for a small stay fish (often a river fish), take the filets and slice them thinly, reserving the top and bones.
Marinate the fish slices, head and bones.
Stir fry the top and bones with aromatics, spices and the pickles, then add water to make the broth base.
Rapidly cook dinner the fish filets on the finish, and switch all the things to a giant bowl.
Lay contemporary herbs and extra spices over the fish. Drizzle scorching oil over the fish to complete up the dish.

Why this recipe

After I developed this Suan Cai Yu recipe, I did it barely in a different way:

I used fish filets as an alternative of a complete fish
I used rooster broth to create the bottom as an alternative of constructing a fish inventory

In China, it’s very easy to buy a stay fish. However within the US, not a lot. These two easy adjustments considerably cut back your workload and will probably be a lot simpler to supply the substances. And the method retains the style of the dish genuine sufficient.

If I’m utilizing a complete fish, I might solely make Suan Cai Yu when internet hosting dinner for a Chinese language competition or different big day. However now, I wouldn’t thoughts making this model of the dish for a Sunday dinner as a result of it’s way more sensible.

Suan Cai Yu substances

Which lower of fish to decide on

Catfish is my favourite fish to make use of on this Suan Cai Yu recipe. Catfish is sort of fatty and has a pleasant texture, and it doesn’t crumble simply so long as you don’t overcook it.

One other favourite of mine is branzino, particularly the filets with pores and skin connected. Fish pores and skin helps maintain the flesh collectively throughout cooking, so you have got good huge intact bites of fish..

Different fish akin to sea bass, flounder, and tilapia work nicely too.

I might keep away from the extra delicate fish akin to sole and cod, since each will crumble immediately as soon as cooked by way of.

Pickled mustard greens

Pickled mustard greens, or Suan Cai (酸菜) is a kind of preserved vegetable made out of mustard greens which have been salted and fermented. It’s a staple in Southern Chinese language cooking and infrequently used so as to add tangy, savory, and umami flavors to dishes.

That is an important ingredient in Suan Cai Yu and it can’t be changed.

Yow will discover pickled mustard greens in Chinese language markets within the unrefrigerated part, typically with different pickled and preserved merchandise. As of late you may as well discover them on Amazon and Asian grocery supply web sites.

Pickled chili peppers

Pickled chili peppers, also called “pao jiao” (泡椒), are chili peppers preserved in a brine answer, typically with a tangy and spicy taste profile. They’re an important addition to Suan Cai Yu broth, as their vivid warmth and sourness complement the opposite daring flavors.

Chinese language pickled chili peppers are a extra specialised ingredient and might be solely present in Chinese language markets. Skip them if you happen to can’t discover them. Alternatively, you should use one other kind of chili pepper akin to pickled jalapeno as a alternative.

Mise en place

Once you’re able to cook dinner, your desk ought to have:

Sliced and marinated fish
Sliced pickles (mustard greens, chili pepper)
Aromatics and spices (ginger, onion, inexperienced onion white half, dried chili pepper)
Hen broth
Shaoxing wine
Sugar
White pepper

If you’re utilizing pickled chili peppers on this dish, go away them complete for a much less spicy dish, or slice them if you happen to like your Suan Cai Yu to be fairly spicy.

Topping substances

I used the inexperienced a part of the inexperienced onion, contemporary chili pepper, and floor Sichuan peppercorn for the topping.

The contemporary chili pepper is added extra for its shade, and you may undoubtedly skip it.

As an alternative of floor Sichuan peppercorns, additionally contemplate inexperienced Sichuan pepper oil as a alternative. It’s a very aromatic oil that’s tingling and zesty. In comparison with the nice and cozy taste of purple Sichuan pepper, the inexperienced one is brighter and has a grassy style. A number of drops of it would work wonders on this dish.

Find out how to make Suan Cai Yu

Making Suan Cai Yu is sort of simple when you’ve ready all of the substances.

First, saute the aromatics till aromatic. Then briefly saute the pickles, adopted by deglazing with Shaoxing wine.

Add the rooster broth and sugar to braise briefly, infusing the broth with the bitter taste. Then switch the pickles to a giant serving bowl. The pickles might be loved in small portions when you eat the fish.

Then convey the broth to a simmer, poaching the fish very briefly, till simply cooked. Instantly transfer the fish to the bowl with the pickles.

Now add the inexperienced a part of the inexperienced onion, Sichuan peppercorns, and contemporary chili (if utilizing). Warmth up some oil and pour the oil over the aromatics. The oil can be scorching and effervescent, briefly cooking the aromatics to launch their perfume. It’s a Chinese language cooking approach referred to as ming you (明油). It makes the dish look higher and provides nice taste to the broth. This step is essential to this dish.

Lastly, warmth up the broth to boiling once more and add sufficient to the bowl, in order that the fish is generally lined.

Finished Suan Cai Yu in a big serving bowl

As soon as achieved, you should have a really festive wanting dish. The fish can be succulent and tender, smothered in a daring tasting broth that’s spicy, bitter, and filled with umami.

Find out how to serve Suan Cai Yu

You may serve Suan Cai Yu for a celebratory meal or banquet as a centerpiece. It’s typically loved by itself. On this case, you’ll almost certainly eat solely the fish filets, presumably with a small quantity of pickles, for the reason that pickles are fairly salty.

You can even cook dinner Suan Cai Yu in your Sunday dinner, served with rice and perhaps one other appetizer or aspect dish to finish the meal. On this case, you may eat a bit extra pickles and drink among the broth, since they pair properly with rice.

Different scrumptious Sichuan recipes

Wish to Know Extra?Obtain our 5-Day Chinese language Cooking Crash Course & Recipe Updates! Subscribe