Suan cai yu: Sichuan sour fish soup with fermented mustard greens and chili

Ingredients

• 1400 g whole grass carp, scaled and gutted
• 350 g Sichuan pickled mustard greens (suan cai)
• 60 ml refined canola oil
• 30 g pork lard
• 8 cloves garlic cloves
• 40 g fresh ginger
• 4 pieces scallions with greens
• 4 pieces pickled green chilies (pao jiao)
• 12 pieces whole dried Sichuan red chilies
• 2 tsp red Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp green Sichuan peppercorns
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 piece egg white
• 2 tbsp sweet potato starch
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1.5 l boiling water
• 4 sprigs fresh cilantro

Method

1. Separate the head, spine, and fins from the grass carp. Chop the backbone and split head into uniform chunks. Carefully fillet both sides of the fish by running the blade of a sharp knife along the rib bones.
2. Carefully scrape away the thin, bitter black membrane lining the belly cavity. Hold your knife blade flat at an angle and slice the fillets on the bias into thin, even slices about 2 to 3 mm thick, working from tail to head.
3. Place the fish slices in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt, a splash of Shaoxing wine, and a little ground white pepper. Gently massage the flesh with your fingers in one consistent circular motion for 2 minutes until it absorbs the liquid and turns tacky to the touch.
4. Add the egg white and continue massaging for 1 minute to work in the albumen, then mix in the sweet potato starch to coat each slice in a thin, translucent protective layer. Let rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes at 4 °C.
5. Rinse the pickled mustard greens in clean water to tame their saltiness, squeeze firmly to remove excess moisture, then cut into 3 cm pieces. Slice the ginger thinly, crush the garlic cloves, and chop the scallions, separating the white parts from the green tops.
6. Heat a wok over high heat with some of the canola oil and the lard until it reaches about 180 °C, as soon as the fat begins to smoke lightly. Sear the head and bone pieces for 4 to 5 minutes over high heat, stirring, until deeply browned, crisp, and golden-brown on all sides.
7. Add the sliced ginger, sliced pickled green chilies, half of the crushed garlic, scallion whites, and pickled mustard greens. Stir-fry briskly over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the greens sizzle energetically and release a sharp, tangy aroma.
8. Deglaze with the remaining Shaoxing wine, then immediately pour in the boiling water at 100 °C over the browned fish. Maintain a vigorous rolling boil over maximum heat for 8 minutes uncovered to emulsify the broth into an opaque, milky white texture. Season with salt and ground white pepper, then let simmer gently at 95 °C for 3 minutes.
9. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bone pieces, head, and cooked greens to the bottom of a large, preheated shallow serving bowl, leaving the simmering broth in the wok.
10. Turn the heat down to low to stabilize the broth at a steady simmer of about 90 °C, just below boiling. Slide the marinated fish slices into the steaming broth one by one without overcrowding, keeping their starch coating intact.
11. Poach gently without stirring for 1 minute 30 to 2 minutes at 90 °C, until the flesh turns completely white, pearlescent, and opaque, reaching 60 °C at the center. Gently ladle the fish and hot broth into the serving bowl over the bed of mustard greens.
12. Scatter the remaining minced garlic, chopped dried red chilies, red and green Sichuan peppercorns, and sliced scallion greens across the top of the dish.
13. Heat the remaining canola oil in a small saucepan over high heat for 2 minutes until it reaches 190 °C and just begins to smoke. Immediately drizzle the smoking oil over the aromatics and garlic for 10 seconds: it should sizzle vigorously right away and release all their fragrances. Top with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

585 kcal

Protein

70.14 g

Carbohydrate

11.78 g

Fat

29.91 g

Fibre

2.74 g

Calcium

9.68 mg

Iron

0.41 mg

Magnesium

8.2 mg