Recipe

水煮鱼 (Sichuan Chili Fish)

Karen and I spent the first few years of our marriage in the Sichuan province in China, so this dish has a special meaning for us. Hope you enjoy!! “Shui Zhu Yu” literally means water-boiled fish — but don’t let the name fool you. This dish is anything but plain. It’s bold, spicy, and tingly in all the right ways — a mix of chiles, Sichuan peppercorns, and fish poached in a fragrant broth that is sure to wake you up! We call it Sichuan Chili Fish — a little easier to say, and a lot more fitting for what it delivers. The heat builds, the flavors layer, and that final pour of sizzling hot oil ties it all together. A few of the ingredients — like Sichuan peppercorns or fermented chile bean paste (doubanjiang) — might not be in your regular grocery store, but you can find them easily at any Asian market or online. They’re worth the effort — once you have them, this dish comes together fast. Our sablefish is our go-to for this one. It holds up beautifully to the heat and soaks in every bit of that flavor. Ingredient Note: Roasted Rapeseed Oil If you want to go all-in on authentic Sichuan flavor, look for roasted rapeseed oil — called 菜籽油 (càizǐ yóu) in Chinese. It has a deep, nutty aroma that makes the hot oil pour at the end so dramatic and flavorful. You can usually find it at well-stocked Asian markets or online (search for caiziyou or Sichuan roasted rapeseed oil). If you can’t get it, a neutral oil like peanut or rice bran oil will still taste great — just make sure it’s hot enough to sizzle when poured over.

Ingredients

For the Fish:
1 lb sablefish (black cod)Shop
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 egg white
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp neutral oil
For the Broth:
2 tsp Sichuan broad bean chile paste (doubanjiang)
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or water
2 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 scallions, whites and light greens sliced into 1 inch pieces
3 slices fresh ginger
8 oz bean sprouts, trimmed
Pinch of salt
For the Pepper Mix:
3 Tbsp neutral oil
12–20 small dried red chiles
2 Tbsp green or red Sichuan peppercorns
To Finish:
Handful of chopped cilantro
¼ cup hot oil (peanut or roasted rapeseed)

Directions

Marinate the Fish: In a bowl, mix salt, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, egg white, cornstarch, and oil. Take the skin off the sablefish and thinly slice. Add sablefish slices and gently coat. Set aside.
Make the Pepper Mix: Heat oil in a wok over medium. Add dried chiles, stirring constantly until they darken slightly (about 1 min). Add peppercorns and cook another 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Transfer the chiles and peppercorns to a cutting board, leaving oil in the wok. Chop them finely.
Build the Broth: Add the chile bean paste to the wok and stir-fry until aromatic (about 15 sec). Pour in the stock, Shaoxing wine, scallion whites, ginger, and bean sprouts. Simmer 1–2 minutes until sprouts are crisp-tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer solids to a large serving bowl. Keep the broth simmering.
Cook the Fish: Lower the sablefish slices into the simmering broth one by one so they don’t clump. Swirl gently until just cooked through — about 1 minute. Pour the fish and broth over the bean sprouts in the bowl.
Finish with Fire: Sprinkle the chopped pepper mix, scallion greens, and cilantro on top. Heat the final ¼ cup oil until smoking, then pour it over the bowl. Listen for that sizzle — that’s flavor in surround sound. Enjoy!

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Recipe

水煮鱼 (Sichuan Chili Fish)

Karen and I spent the first few years of our marriage in the Sichuan province in China, so this dish has a special meaning for us. Hope you enjoy!! “Shui Zhu Yu” literally means water-boiled fish — but don’t let the name fool you. This dish is anything but plain. It’s bold, spicy, and tingly in all the right ways — a mix of chiles, Sichuan peppercorns, and fish poached in a fragrant broth that is sure to wake you up! We call it Sichuan Chili Fish — a little easier to say, and a lot more fitting for what it delivers. The heat builds, the flavors layer, and that final pour of sizzling hot oil ties it all together. A few of the ingredients — like Sichuan peppercorns or fermented chile bean paste (doubanjiang) — might not be in your regular grocery store, but you can find them easily at any Asian market or online. They’re worth the effort — once you have them, this dish comes together fast. Our sablefish is our go-to for this one. It holds up beautifully to the heat and soaks in every bit of that flavor. Ingredient Note: Roasted Rapeseed Oil If you want to go all-in on authentic Sichuan flavor, look for roasted rapeseed oil — called 菜籽油 (càizǐ yóu) in Chinese. It has a deep, nutty aroma that makes the hot oil pour at the end so dramatic and flavorful. You can usually find it at well-stocked Asian markets or online (search for caiziyou or Sichuan roasted rapeseed oil). If you can’t get it, a neutral oil like peanut or rice bran oil will still taste great — just make sure it’s hot enough to sizzle when poured over.

Ingredients

For the Fish:
1 lb sablefish (black cod)Shop
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 egg white
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp neutral oil
For the Broth:
2 tsp Sichuan broad bean chile paste (doubanjiang)
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or water
2 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 scallions, whites and light greens sliced into 1 inch pieces
3 slices fresh ginger
8 oz bean sprouts, trimmed
Pinch of salt
For the Pepper Mix:
3 Tbsp neutral oil
12–20 small dried red chiles
2 Tbsp green or red Sichuan peppercorns
To Finish:
Handful of chopped cilantro
¼ cup hot oil (peanut or roasted rapeseed)

Directions

Marinate the Fish: In a bowl, mix salt, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, egg white, cornstarch, and oil. Take the skin off the sablefish and thinly slice. Add sablefish slices and gently coat. Set aside.
Make the Pepper Mix: Heat oil in a wok over medium. Add dried chiles, stirring constantly until they darken slightly (about 1 min). Add peppercorns and cook another 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Transfer the chiles and peppercorns to a cutting board, leaving oil in the wok. Chop them finely.
Build the Broth: Add the chile bean paste to the wok and stir-fry until aromatic (about 15 sec). Pour in the stock, Shaoxing wine, scallion whites, ginger, and bean sprouts. Simmer 1–2 minutes until sprouts are crisp-tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer solids to a large serving bowl. Keep the broth simmering.
Cook the Fish: Lower the sablefish slices into the simmering broth one by one so they don’t clump. Swirl gently until just cooked through — about 1 minute. Pour the fish and broth over the bean sprouts in the bowl.
Finish with Fire: Sprinkle the chopped pepper mix, scallion greens, and cilantro on top. Heat the final ¼ cup oil until smoking, then pour it over the bowl. Listen for that sizzle — that’s flavor in surround sound. Enjoy!

Back to recipes

Explore Our Products

We sell the best of wild Alaska—premium seafood, from fillets to specialty cuts. All wild. All the time.