Description
The absolute king of Sichuan cuisine, loved in modern China alongside or even surpassing Mapo Tofu. Despite the name 'Water Boiled' (Shui Zhu), it is NOT boiled in water. Paper-thin slices of velveted white fish are submerged in a 'sea of boiling hot oil' floating with massive chilies and Sichuan pepper. Boasts violent heat and numbing.
Restaurants serving Shui Zhu Yu (Sichuan Boiling Oil Fish)
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- White fish(Grass Carp/Cod/Sea Bass)
- Dried red chilies(massive)
- Sichuan pepper(massive)
- Bean sprouts
- Doubanjiang
- Egg white
- Potato starch
- Massive oil
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- (Ultimate Fish Tenderness: Shang Jiang) Slice freshwater white fish (Grass Carp/Catfish) paper-thin. Vigorously massage with salt, egg white, wine, and [massive starch slurry]. Flash-fry or blanch to coat the surface smooth like jelly.
- (Veg Prep) Pave the bottom of a massive heat-proof basin with lightly boiled bean sprouts, celery, or cabbage.
- (Broth & Fish) Fry Doubanjiang, garlic, and ginger in a wok. Pour in broth to make a red soup. Drop in the fish slices for just dozens of seconds. Pour everything over the veggies in the basin.
- [The Ultimate Highlight: Hot Oil Splash]: This is the main event. Heap a massive mountain of 'dried red chilies' and 'Sichuan pepper' directly on top of the fish.
- In a separate pot, heat 'massive amounts of oil (several ladles full)' to the smoking limit. Violently splash this boiling oil directly over the chilies ('SIZZLE!!!').
- The hot oil explosively extracts the chili/pepper aromas. Served to the table while the fish is literally boiling in a sea of oil.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Exploded chili heat (La) and Sichuan pepper numbness (Ma) via boiling oil
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Can be made with Japanese Cod or Sea Bass fillets)
Pairing
Cold Beer / White Rice(drain oil and top)
Trivia
[Trivia] Originated when Chongqing laborers boiled muddy river fish in massive chili and oil to erase the funk. It exploded in popularity in Beijing in the 1990s. Today, if you ask for a 'feast' in China, this is the first dish named. A modern national dish that conquered all of China. (*Variations exist using pork 'Shui Zhu Rou Pian' or beef).
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] DO NOT drink the soup or oil. Rescue the pure white, silky fish slices from the blazing red sea of oil with chopsticks, drain well, and eat. While it looks like a spicy hell, the fish is protected by the starch coating. The inside remains astonishingly fluffy and delicate, and this contrast with the spicy oil exterior creates miraculous deliciousness.
Allergen
Seafood, Eggs, Soybeans, Wheat (Depends on sauce)