Spicy Boiled Fish
Sichuan fish fillet in a tingly, chilli-topped broth.
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Pickled Mustard Fish Soup
Tender grass carp slices in a light, salty-savoury broth with fermented pickled mustard greens, bamboo shoots and tofu. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 雪菜鱼片汤, report 120.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 雪菜鱼片汤_120.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 1–2 (adaptation: the source portion is a single ~350 ml bowl)Difficulty: EasyRegion: JiangnanFlavour: Salty-savoury
Why this works
The whole dish turns on contrast: the pickled mustard brings a fermented, salty depth, the fish stays silky because it is barely cooked, and the bamboo shoots and tofu give crunch and softness against it. The report's control points are precise for a reason. Fish sliced about 0.3 cm thick poaches in water at 80 °C, just bubbling, for 30 seconds, then spends only one minute in the finished soup over low heat, so it sets without turning dry or cottony. Soaking the chopped pickled mustard for ten minutes takes the harsh salt edge off while keeping its aroma, and frying it for a minute first wakes that aroma up. A final drizzle of oil is not decoration; it gives the pale broth its shine and carries the mustard fragrance to the nose before the first spoonful. Serve it with plain rice and a simple green vegetable, and the bowl stays what the report intended: light, savoury and restorative rather than heavy.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass carp fillet, boneless, sliced diagonally about 0.3 cm thick | 5.3 oz | 150 g | Any firm white fish that holds a thin slice, such as cod or haddock, works (adaptation). Ask the fishmonger to fillet and bone it. |
| Pickled mustard greens (xuecai), chopped | 1 oz | 30 g | Sold jarred or vacuum-packed at Asian groceries; rinse and soak as directed. Do not substitute kimchi — the flavour is different. |
| Bamboo shoots, cut into shreds | 0.7 oz | 20 g | Canned bamboo shoots, drained, are the practical home substitute (adaptation). |
| Soft tofu, cut into 2 cm cubes | 2.8 oz | 80 g | Soft or medium tofu; handle gently so the cubes stay whole. |
| Salt | ¼ tsp + to taste | 2 g + to taste | Go easy: the pickled mustard is already salty. |
| Shaoxing wine (marinade) | 2 tsp | 10 ml | Dry sherry in a pinch. |
| Corn starch (for coating the fish) | 1 tsp | 5 g | — |
| Water, for the broth | 1¼ cups | 300 ml | — |
| Neutral cooking oil, divided | 1 tbsp | 15 ml | 10 ml for frying the mustard, 5 ml as finishing oil, as in the source. |
Equipment
- Medium pot for poaching and soup
- Skillet or wok for frying the mustard — no wok required (adaptation)
- Slotted spoon
Steps
- Prep the fish and vegetables. Slice the fish diagonally about 0.3 cm thick. Toss with wine, salt and starch and marinate for 5 minutes. Chop the pickled mustard and soak it in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain. Cut the bamboo shoots into shreds and the tofu into 2 cm cubes.
- Poach the fish briefly. Bring a pot of water to 80 °C — just small bubbles, not a rolling boil. Slide in the fish slices and poach for 30 seconds, then lift out and drain. The fish will finish in the soup.
- Fry the mustard and build the broth. Heat 10 ml oil and fry the drained mustard over medium heat for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add 300 ml water and bring to a boil.
- Add the vegetables and tofu. Add the bamboo shreds and tofu and cook for 2 minutes.
- Finish the fish. Add the poached fish slices and cook over low heat for 1 minute — no longer, or the fish turns dry. Season with salt to taste, turn off the heat and drizzle over the remaining 5 ml oil. Serve at once.
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Technique: poach low, finish fast
Water at 80 °C is hot enough to set the starch coating and just cook the fish through, but gentle enough not to tear the slices or squeeze them dry. If the water boils hard, the coating slips off and the fish toughens; if it is too cool, the slices fall apart. The second, one-minute finish in the soup is the real cooking — that is why the report keeps it short and on low heat.
Variations
- Spicier: add a sliced fresh chilli with the mustard. This is an addition, not in the source, and it shifts the clean salty-savoury balance.
- Greener: add a handful of leafy greens with the tofu for a bigger bowl (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Why did my fish fall apart?
Usually the slices were cut too thin, the poaching water was boiling hard, or the fish spent too long in the soup. Keep slices near 0.3 cm, water at a bare simmer, and the final cook to one minute.
Can I skip soaking the pickled mustard?
You can, but the soup will be noticeably saltier and harsher. The ten-minute soak is the report's own step for keeping flavour while losing excess salt.
Is grass carp essential?
No. The method matters more than the species: any firm white fish sliced thin and poached gently will work, though grass carp is the traditional choice.
Storage
Best eaten fresh; the fish toughens on reheating. If needed, refrigerate the soup without the fish for up to 1 day and poach fresh fish when serving. Reheat until steaming hot throughout.
Pickled Mustard Fish Soup — Recipe Card
Tender fish slices in a salty-savoury pickled mustard broth with bamboo and tofu.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 1–2 (adaptation: the source portion is a single ~350 ml bowl)
Ingredients: 150 g grass carp fillet; 30 g pickled mustard greens; 20 g bamboo shoots; 80 g tofu; 2 g salt; 10 ml wine; 5 g starch; 300 ml water; 15 ml oil.
Steps: 1) Marinate sliced fish 5 minutes; soak mustard 10 minutes. 2) Poach fish 30 seconds at 80 °C. 3) Fry mustard 1 minute, add water, boil. 4) Add bamboo and tofu, cook 2 minutes. 5) Add fish, low heat 1 minute, season, finish with oil.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 雪菜鱼片汤 (data/reports/120.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. Original poster image: clouchef.com (雪菜鱼片汤_120.jpeg). The 1–2 serving presentation, the canned-bamboo and white-fish substitutes are adaptations and are labelled as such.