Sichuan Boiled Fish & Champagne

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Sichuan Boiled Fish

The story:

Sichuan Boiled Fish (水煮鱼) is one dish that I order whenever it’s on the menu. It originated from Sichuan but now has become THE most popular dish all around China and swept the world as well. 水煮, which literally means water boiled, is a renowned cooking method for Sichuan cuisine. Fish, beef, pork, vegetables - thinly sliced, marinated, poached in seasoned water for just several minutes, topped with Sichuan peppercorns and various spices, results in a tasty, pungent, tender dish - heaven for any spicy food lovers.

The food:

Traditionally, Sichuan Boiled Fish is made with a whole fish that requires some cutting techniques - removing the bones elegantly and slicing the fish thinly. Let’s just make it easier by using fish fillets - it doesn’t make this dish any less authentic! There are two key ingredients for it: Green Sichuan peppercorns (青花椒) - which can be substituted with regular Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), although the green ones are more numbing, carrying more herbal notes; and Sichuan chili bean paste (豆瓣酱). Both can be easily found in Chinese or Asian groceries - you’ll have them for years to make dishes like this and so many more (e.g. Ma Po Tofu, any 红烧/braised meat, etc.). 

The beauty of the dish is that you can load it up with various vegetables, ending up an intense one-dish meal. While the most conventional ones are bean sprout, mushroom, and celtuce, you can use any of your favorites.

Another unique technique to aromatize the dried chili and peppercorns, adding extra richness to this dish, is to pour hot oil over the cooked fish at the end! An essential step to draw out the full fragrance of the spices - not just the pungent hotness, but the lush florals and deep citrusy notes underneath it as well.

Directions:

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of fish fillets (such as tilapia, seabass, flounder, catfish)

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • ½ tablespoon of ground white pepper

  • 1 tablespoon cooking wine (such as Shao Xing rice wine, dry sherry)

  • 1 eggwhite (optional)

  • 4 garlic cloves

  • 2 green onion (separate white and green part)

  • 4 sliced ginger 

  • 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil 

  • ½ cup dried red chili peppers

  • 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn (green or regular)

  • 3 cups chicken stock

  • 1 tablespoon of Sichuan chili bean paste

  • 1-2 Asian spice such as star anise, cinnamon (optional)

  • Your choice of vegetables (such as shiitake mushrooms, spinach, sliced potatoes, bok choy, celery)

Instructions:

  1. First: Cut the fish into thin slices (~¼ inch, they will shrink once cooked)

  2. Next: marinate the fish. In a large bowl, combine salt, white pepper, cooking wine, egg white, cornstarch, add the fish slices and mix thoroughly. Set aside for ~15-20min or until feel “slimy”

  3. Then: make the soup. In a wok, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then all garlic, ginger, the white part of green onions, stir for 1min or until fragrant. Add half peppercorn, dried chili pepper, any Asian spice you have on hand, stir for 1min or until fragrant

  4. Add Sichuan chili bean paste, stir for 1min then pour chicken stock in the wok, bring to boil. Taste the soup, add salt/pepper and/or water to adjust

  5. Cook the vegetables: add your favorite vegetables to the soup and cook until desired. Lay them at the bottom of your final container (Note: this needs to be heatproof as we will be pouring hot oil to sizzle the dish at the end)

  6. Cook the fish: add fish to the soup and cook for ~1min or until they become white. Do not overcook as the fish won’t be as tender. Transfer to the same container

  7. Garnish: sprinkle the green part of green onions, the other half of the peppercorn, and dried chili peppers evenly over the fish

  8. In a small pot, heat up ~1 tablespoon cooking oil (Note: the oil should be hot but not smoking), pour the heated oil over everything!

  9. Voila! Serve immediately - the clean up can wait!

The wine:

Champagne de Saint Gall Orpale Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2002

The "Orpale" signature is only used for the great vintages, and 2002 is one of them. With a light dosage and after a 9 years maturation process, Orpale is without a doubt the most complex, accomplished wine of the Champagne de Saint-Gall portfolio. 

An elegant Champagne filled with wonderful toasty elements! It’s got some age, but still delightfully fresh. The scents take you back to its vineyard origins. Pure, restrained, generous, with notes of spiced brioche, fresh lemon, a bouquet of acacia blossoms that nicely echoed on the palate.

The pairing

Pairing wine with spiciness is already hard, the peppercorn flavors are even more challenging. This dish is already balanced and complete in itself that it doesn’t really need another “sauce”. Some would reach for a beer, others prefer semi-sweet wines (Riesling, Gewürztraminers) or reds with lower tannins - and these are good options! But I’m here to tell you -  Sparkling, especially Champagne with some age on it - wins! If you have never tried it before, you may not believe that something as seemingly delicate as sparkling wine could be paired with a spicy dish. The head winemaker at Dom Pérignon Vincent Chaperon once said: An old champagne is spicy food’s best friend. They are palate-cleansing, refreshing, each sip will offset the tingling, numbing sensation that envelops in the mouth, making them a match made in bubbly heaven. 

Have you tried Champagne with spicy food? Have fun making this dish and grab your favorite bubbly - enjoy!