Sichuan Pickled Vegetable Fish
A classic Sichuan home-style dish combining tender fish with tangy pickled vegetables. The rich broth is sour, spicy, and incredibly appetizing.
Ingredients
18 items- Grass carp (or sea bass) 1 (about 500g)
- Sichuan pickled vegetables (pickled radish, pickled chili) 200g
- Pickled ginger 20g
- Pickled chili 30g
- Garlic 4 cloves
- Fresh ginger 10g
- Scallions 2 stalks
- Dried chilies 5
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 tsp
- Cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) 2 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Sugar 1/2 tsp
- White pepper a pinch
- Broth or water 500 ml
- Cooking oil 3 tbsp
- Cornstarch 1 tbsp
- Egg white 1
Nutrition
Steps （9 steps）
Rinse fish chunks and pat dry. Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp cooking wine, a pinch of white pepper, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and 1 egg white. Mix well and marinate for 15 minutes until the surface becomes tacky.
Cut pickled vegetables, pickled ginger, and pickled chili into desired sizes; crush garlic, slice fresh ginger, cut scallions, and cut dried chilies (if using).
Heat the wok over medium heat and add 2 tbsp oil. When oil is 60% hot (about 180°C), add fish chunks and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Leave a little oil in the wok, reduce to low heat. Add Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies, ginger slices, and garlic cloves. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add pickled vegetables, pickled ginger, and pickled chili. Turn to medium heat and stir-fry for 2 minutes until the pickles become slightly charred and the oil turns red, releasing a tangy aroma.
Pour in 500 ml broth or water. Add 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, and 1 tbsp cooking wine. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 3 minutes to meld the flavors.
Place the fried fish chunks into the wok. Bring to a boil again, then reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the fish is fully cooked and a chopstick can easily pierce the thickest part.
Uncover and taste the sauce. Adjust salt if needed (remember the pickles are salty). Sprinkle a little white pepper. Turn to high heat and reduce the sauce, shaking the wok occasionally, for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Turn off the heat. Add the scallion sections and gently stir a couple of times. Transfer to a deep plate and garnish with cilantro or extra scallions if desired.
Tips
Choose aged Sichuan pickles for a deeper sourness; marinating the fish with egg white and starch ensures tenderness; reducing the sauce thoroughly concentrates the flavors.
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