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

Suan Cai Yu , or hot and sour fish with pickled mustard greens, is a classic Sichuan dish that is less known outside of China. The fish is thinly sliced and poached in a rich broth made from stock flavored with peppers, ginger, garlic, and pickles. The fish has a velvety and silky texture, with a piquant and zesty taste. The numbing tingling Sichuan peppercorns and sour pickles will open your senses as soon as you take your first bite. 

Suan cai yu might not be familiar to you. In fact, even in Chinese restaurants, it’s often overshadowed by its sister dish – the numbingly spicy “Sichuan boiled fish” (水煮鱼, Shui Zhu Yu). But I assure you that you will be addicted to the rich flavor immediately.

It makes an exciting dinner dish that you will find really satisfying on a chilly day, or an exquisite main dish to serve for your next Chinese dinner party.

How to cook Suan Cai Yu the authentic way

For most Chinese cooks, this is the only way to cook Suan Cai Yu is to:

1. Shop for a small live fish (usually a river fish), take the filets and slice them thinly, reserving the head and bones.
2. Marinate the fish slices, head and bones. 
3. Stir fry the head and bones with aromatics, spices and the pickles, then add water to make the broth base.
4. Quickly cook the fish filets at the end, and transfer everything to a big bowl.
5. Lay fresh herbs and more spices over the fish. Drizzle hot oil over the fish to finish up the dish.

Why this recipe

When I developed this Suan Cai Yu recipe, I did it slightly differently:

1. I used fish filets instead of a whole fish
2. I used chicken broth to create the base instead of making a fish stock

In China, it’s really easy to shop for a live fish. But in the US, not so much. These two simple changes significantly reduce your workload and it will be much easier to source the ingredients. And the approach keeps the taste of the dish authentic enough. 

If I’m using a whole fish, I would only make Suan Cai Yu when hosting dinner for a Chinese festival or other special occasion. But now, I wouldn’t mind making this version of the dish for a Sunday dinner because it’s much more practical. 

Suan Cai Yu ingredients

Which cut of fish to choose

Catfish is my favorite fish to use in this Suan Cai Yu recipe. Catfish is quite fatty and has a nice texture, and it doesn’t fall apart easily as long as you don’t overcook it.

Another favorite of mine is branzino, especially the filets with skin attached. Fish skin helps hold the flesh together during cooking, so you have nice big intact bites of fish.. 

Other fish such as sea bass, flounder, and tilapia work well too.

I would avoid the more delicate fish such as sole and cod, since both will fall apart instantly once cooked through.

Pickled mustard greens

Pickled mustard greens, or Suan Cai (酸菜) is a type of preserved vegetable made from mustard greens that have been salted and fermented. It is a staple in Southern Chinese cooking and often used to add tangy, savory, and umami flavors to dishes. 

This is the most important ingredient in Suan Cai Yu and it cannot be replaced.

You can find pickled mustard greens in Chinese markets in the unrefrigerated section, often with other pickled and preserved products. These days you can also find them on Amazon and Asian grocery delivery websites. 

Pickled chili peppers

Pickled chili peppers, also known as “pao jiao” (泡椒), are chili peppers preserved in a brine solution, often with a tangy and spicy flavor profile. They are a great addition to Suan Cai Yu broth, as their bright heat and sourness complement the other bold flavors.

Chinese pickled chili peppers are a more specialized ingredient and can be only found in Chinese markets. Skip them if you cannot find them. Alternatively, you can use another type of chili pepper such as pickled jalapeno as a replacement.

Mise en place

When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:

• Sliced and marinated fish
• Sliced pickles (mustard greens, chili pepper)
• Aromatics and spices (ginger, onion, green onion white part, dried chili pepper)
• Chicken broth
• Shaoxing wine
• Sugar
• White pepper

If you are using pickled chili peppers in this dish, leave them whole for a less spicy dish, or slice them if you like your Suan Cai Yu to be quite spicy.

Topping ingredients

I used the green part of the green onion, fresh chili pepper, and ground Sichuan peppercorn for the topping.

The fresh chili pepper is added more for its color, and you can definitely skip it.

Instead of ground Sichuan peppercorns, also consider green Sichuan pepper oil as a replacement. It is a very fragrant oil that is tingling and zesty. Compared to the warm flavor of red Sichuan pepper, the green one is brighter and has a grassy taste. A few drops of it will work wonders in this dish.

How to make Suan Cai Yu

Making Suan Cai Yu is quite straightforward once you’ve prepared all the ingredients.

First, saute the aromatics until fragrant. Then briefly saute the pickles, followed by deglazing with Shaoxing wine.

Add the chicken broth and sugar to braise briefly, infusing the broth with the sour flavor. Then transfer the pickles to a big serving bowl. The pickles can be enjoyed in small quantities while you eat the fish. 

Then bring the broth to a simmer, poaching the fish very briefly, until just cooked. Immediately move the fish to the bowl with the pickles.

Now add the green part of the green onion, Sichuan peppercorns, and fresh chili (if using). Heat up some oil and pour the oil over the aromatics. The oil will be sizzling and bubbling, briefly cooking the aromatics to release their fragrance. It’s a Chinese cooking technique called ming you (明油). It makes the dish look better and adds great flavor to the broth. This step is very important to this dish. 

Finally, heat up the broth to boiling again and add enough to the bowl, so that the fish is mostly covered.

Once done, you will have a very festive looking dish. The fish will be succulent and tender, smothered in a bold tasting broth that is spicy, sour, and full of umami.

How to serve Suan Cai Yu

You can serve Suan Cai Yu for a celebratory meal or dinner party as a centerpiece. It is often enjoyed by itself. In this case, you will most likely eat only the fish filets, possibly with a small amount of pickles, since the pickles are quite salty. 

You can also cook Suan Cai Yu for your Sunday dinner, served with rice and maybe another appetizer or side dish to complete the meal. In this case, you might eat a bit more pickles and drink some of the broth, since they pair nicely with rice.

Other delicious Sichuan recipes

• Yu Xiang Eggplant (鱼香茄子, Sichuan Eggplant Stir Fry)
• Authentic Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
• Sichuan Spicy Wonton in Chili Oil (红油抄手)
• Shui Zhu Yu (Sichuan Boiled Fish, 水煮鱼)
• Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁)
• Chinese Garlic Green Beans

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

By Maggie Zhu

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 to 4 servings

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Suan Cai Yu is a classic Sichuan dish that features tender flavorful fish slices in a rich hot and sour broth made with Chinese pickled vegetables. This recipe shares how to recreate the authentic restaurant flavor at home using a simplified method.

To make this dish gluten-free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine.

Ingredients 

Marinade

• 1 lb (450 g) catfish filets (*Footnote 1)
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Cook

• 1/3 cup dried chili pepper
• 4 green onions , white part sliced into 1/2” (1 cm) pieces, green part thinly sliced for topping
• 6 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 thumb ginger , minced
• 1 pack (10.5oz / 300 g) Sichuan pickled mustard greens , rinsed with running tap water, drained and sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup Chinese pickled peppers , sliced (or keep them whole for a less spicy dish)
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Topping options

• 5 to 10 fresh chili peppers , sliced (for garnish, very optional, use this only if you like the dish to be very spicy)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon green Sichuan peppercorn oil (Optional)

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Instructions

To marinate the fish

• To slice the catfish, tilt the knife so it’s at 45 degrees against the cutting board. Slice fish into 1/2” (1 cm) thick slices.
• Combine fish, white pepper, salt, egg white, and potato starch in a bowl. Gently mix the ingredients by hand, until the fish is evenly coated. Let marinate for 10 to 20 minutes while preparing other ingredients.

To cook the fish

• Heat the oil in a deep large skillet (or a wok) over medium heat until hot. Turn to medium heat. Add green onion, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper. Cook and stir until very fragrant and the peppers just start to turn darker, 1 minute or so.
• Add Sichuan pickles and pickled peppers. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan. Quickly stir a few times.
• Add chicken stock and sugar. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Turn to medium heat and let the broth simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn to low heat and taste the broth. Adjust seasoning by adding salt and white pepper, if needed. The broth should be slightly salty. Use a slotted ladle to transfer the pickles to a big serving bowl.
• Turn to medium-high heat to bring the broth to a simmer. Add the fish slices, using chopsticks or a pair of tongs to gently separate the slices. Cook the fish in two batches if your pan is not big enough to spread all the fish slices into a single layer. Cook until the fish is just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted ladle to transfer the fish to the serving bowl on top of the pickles. Once the fish is cooked, turn to medium-high heat to bring the broth back to a boil.

Finish up the toppings

• While the broth is cooking, sprinkle the green part of the green onions, sliced chili peppers (if using), and ground Sichuan peppercorn on top of the fish.
• Heat the oil in another small saucepan until hot and just starting to smoke. Turn off the heat. Immediately drizzle the hot oil over the aromatics on top of the fish. You should see the hot oil bubbling. Drizzle a bit of green Sichuan peppercorn oil if using. Serve hot by itself or over rice as a main dish.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

1. Other white fish such as branzino, sea bass, flounder, and tilapia work as well. I would avoid cod and sole, because these fish are too delicate and will easily fall apart during the cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 207kcal, Carbohydrates: 14.7g, Protein: 16.2g, Fat: 9.1g, Saturated Fat: 2.3g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 986mg, Potassium: 435mg, Fiber: 2.7g, Sugar: 4.7g, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 2mg

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