Pickled Mustard Fish (酸菜鱼 Suan Cai Yu)

Step 1

De-scale the fish fillets if there are any scales. Then cut the fillets at an angle (about 45 degree) into thin slices. Gently rinse all the fish slices a few times and put them in a bowl. No need to pat dry. Add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon of ground white pepper, and a pinch of ground ginger, mixing gently. Marinate for 10 minutes. Then add the egg white to the fish slices, making sure all the slices are wrapped with egg white. Finally add about 2 teaspoons of corn starch, mixing well. Marinate the fish slices for another 15 minutes (for about 25 minutes in total). While marinating the fish, proceed to the other steps.

Step 2

Rinse the pickled mustard a few times to remove any astringent taste. Then cut the pickled mustard along the veins into thin slices.

Step 3

Peel and cut the ginger into slices. Separate the green onion green parts and white parts. Chop the white parts into large slices and the green parts into thin pieces (to be used at the very end). Peel and cut the garlic cloves into slices.

Step 4

Heat a large well-seasoned wok or dutch oven under medium-high heat. When the wok is hot, add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Swirl the oil around the wok a bit. Then add the previously prepared ginger, garlic, white parts of the green onion, and 1 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorns into the wok. Stir around a bit to release their flavors. Then add the chopped pickled sour mustard and pickled chili peppers, stirring and tossing everything together for a minute.

Step 5

Pour the 4 cups of fish stock into the wok, bringing to a boil. Turn the heat to low or medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the desired amount of pickled mustard to a large bowl. Use a slotted spoon or colander to filter out the rest of the solids.

Step 6

Turn the heat to medium-high again. When the fish stock starts bubbling, slowly add the marinated fish slices from step 1, one at a time, minimizing overlap. This helps the heat distribute equally among all the fish slices. Cook the fish slices for about 1 minute and turn off the heat. DO NOT overcook. Add all the fish slices on top of the picked mustard and carefully pour the liquid into the bowl.

Step 7

Sprinkle the sliced green onions on top. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable in a cast iron skillet under high heat. When the oil is getting hot, pour it on top of the green onions. If you want more heat, add some chopped or coarse dried chili peppers along with the sliced green onions before pouring the hot oil on top. Enjoy right away!