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

Suan Cai Yu is a traditional 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 way to recreate the genuine restaurant taste at residence utilizing a simplified technique.

Suan Cai Yu , or scorching and bitter fish with pickled mustard greens, is a traditional Sichuan dish that’s much less recognized 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’re taking your first chew.

Suan cai yu may not be acquainted to you. Actually, 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 can be hooked on the wealthy taste instantly.

It makes an thrilling dinner dish that you’ll discover actually satisfying on a cold day, or an beautiful predominant dish to serve to your subsequent Chinese language feast.

Learn how to prepare dinner Suan Cai Yu the genuine means

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

Store for a small dwell 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 prepare dinner the fish filets on the finish, and switch the whole lot to an enormous bowl.
Lay recent 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 another way:

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

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

If I’m utilizing an entire fish, I’d solely make Suan Cai Yu when internet hosting dinner for a Chinese language pageant 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 elements

Which minimize of fish to decide on

Catfish is my favourite fish to make use of on this Suan Cai Yu recipe. Catfish is kind of fatty and has a pleasant texture, and it doesn’t collapse 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 may have good huge intact bites of fish..

Different fish similar to sea bass, flounder, and tilapia work effectively too.

I’d keep away from the extra delicate fish similar to sole and cod, since each will collapse immediately as soon as cooked via.

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.

You will discover pickled mustard greens in Chinese language markets within the unrefrigerated part, typically with different pickled and preserved merchandise. Lately you can even discover them on Amazon and Asian grocery supply web sites.

Pickled chili peppers

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

Chinese language pickled chili peppers are a extra specialised ingredient and may be solely present in Chinese language markets. Skip them for those who can’t discover them. Alternatively, you should utilize one other kind of chili pepper similar to pickled jalapeno as a alternative.

Mise en place

If you’re able to prepare 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)
Rooster broth
Shaoxing wine
Sugar
White pepper

In case you are utilizing pickled chili peppers on this dish, go away them entire for a much less spicy dish, or slice them for those who like your Suan Cai Yu to be fairly spicy.

Topping elements

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

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

As a substitute of floor Sichuan peppercorns, additionally think about 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 crimson Sichuan pepper, the inexperienced one is brighter and has a grassy style. A couple of drops of it should work wonders on this dish.

Learn how to make Suan Cai Yu

Making Suan Cai Yu is kind of simple when you’ve ready all of the elements.

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 an enormous serving bowl. The pickles may 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 recent chili (if utilizing). Warmth up some oil and pour the oil over the aromatics. The oil might be scorching and effervescent, briefly cooking the aromatics to launch their perfume. It’s a Chinese language cooking method known 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.

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

Learn how to serve Suan Cai Yu

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

It’s also possible to prepare dinner Suan Cai Yu to your Sunday dinner, served with rice and perhaps one other appetizer or facet 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.

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