Spicy Boiled Fish
Sichuan fish fillet in a tingly, chilli-topped broth.
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Sour Soup Fish
Yunnan sour-soup fish: grass carp slices poached forty-five seconds in a golden broth built from pickled vegetables, lemongrass and chillies, then struck with hot oil. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 酸汤鱼, report 153.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 酸汤鱼_153.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 15 minutesTotal: 30 minutesServings: 1–2 (adaptation: the source portion is ~500 g finished)Difficulty: Easy–MediumRegion: YunnanFlavour: Sour-spicy
Why this works
The sourness here is layered, not sharp: pickled Yunnan vegetables give the fermented base note, lemongrass gives a high, almost citrus perfume, and chillies give the heat that makes the sourness read as appetite rather than acidity. The method keeps those layers clean by straining. The aromatics are fried, simmered ten minutes in stock, and then filtered out entirely, so the finished broth is clear gold instead of a muddy stew — and the fish, sliced three millimetres thin and poached forty-five seconds, cooks in that clear broth without clouding it. The final hot-oil strike is small, five millilitres, but it matters: it blooms the surface of the soup and carries the lemongrass aroma up before the first spoonful. Overcook the fish by thirty seconds and the dish's delicacy is gone; under-simmer the broth and the sourness never rounds out. Plain rice on the side lets the broth shine, and a second ladle of hot broth revives any bowl that cools.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass carp fillet, boneless, sliced 3 mm thin | 7 oz | 200 g | Any firm white fish sliced thin works (adaptation). |
| Chicken or pork bone stock | 1¼ cups | 300 ml | Good shop-bought chicken stock works (adaptation). |
| Yunnan pickled vegetables (suan yancai), cut into 3 cm lengths | 1.8 oz | 50 g | Sold jarred at Asian groceries; rinsed pickled mustard is the nearest substitute (adaptation). |
| Lemongrass, cut into 5 cm lengths | 0.35 oz | 10 g | Strained out before serving, as in the source — it flavours the broth, it is not eaten. |
| Ginger, sliced | 0.35 oz | 10 g | Strained out with the other aromatics. |
| Garlic, minced | 0.35 oz | 10 g | Strained out with the other aromatics. |
| Small chillies, cut into rings | 0.18 oz | 5 g | All used in the broth base and strained out, as in the source. |
| Salt | ½ tsp | 3 g | For the fish marinade and to taste — split labelled as an adaptation, since the source lists 3 g total and an unquantified marinade use. |
| Egg white, for the fish marinade | 1 egg white | about 30 g | Quantity not specified in the source; one egg white is the home adaptation used here. |
| Corn starch, for the fish marinade | 1 tsp | 5 g | Quantity not specified in the source; the home adaptation used here. |
| White pepper | ¼ tsp | 1 g | — |
| Neutral cooking oil, for frying the base | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp | 20 ml | — |
| Hot oil, to finish | 1 tsp | 5 ml | Appears in the source serving step but not its ingredient table; included here and labelled as such. |
| Scallions or coriander, to garnish | To taste | To taste | The source says to use only boiled-water-scalded herbs for garnish, never raw (adaptation applied here). |
Equipment
- Large skillet or wok for the broth base — no wok required (adaptation)
- Fine strainer for the broth
- Slotted spoon
Steps
- Marinate the fish. Slice the fish 3 mm thin and toss with salt, egg white and starch. Refrigerate while you make the broth (the source allows up to 24 hours). Cut the pickled vegetables into 3 cm lengths and the lemongrass into 5 cm lengths; slice the ginger, mince the garlic and ring the chillies.
- Fry the base. Heat 20 ml oil over medium heat and fry the ginger, garlic and all the chilli rings for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Simmer and strain. Add the pickled vegetables and lemongrass and fry over medium heat for 2 minutes until the sour aroma rises. Pour in 300 ml stock, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes. Strain out all the lemongrass, chillies, ginger and garlic and keep the clear golden broth. (The source makes 300 ml of broth and serves 250 ml; this page uses the full strained broth for one generous bowl — labelled adaptation.)
- Poach the fish. Bring the strained broth to a boil. Add the fish slices and cook for 45 seconds, timing it, until the slices turn white and curl. Do not overcook — the source requires the fish centre to reach at least 75 °C for 30 seconds, which slices this thin achieve in the boiling broth.
- Finish and serve. Turn off the heat, drizzle 5 ml hot oil over the surface, season with white pepper and remaining salt to taste, and serve at once at 85 °C or above, as the source requires. Garnish only with scalded scallions or coriander, never raw herbs.
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Technique: strain the broth, poach forty-five seconds
Straining is what separates a clear, golden sour soup from a murky one: the aromatics have given everything they have to the stock in ten minutes, and leaving them in only muddies the bowl and makes the heat uneven. The fish timing is just as strict — three-millimetre slices in boiling broth cook through in forty-five seconds, and every extra thirty seconds tightens them from silky to cottony. A timer, not judgement, is the right tool here.
Variations
- Milder: halve the chillies in the base. The sour-lemongrass character stays, the heat drops (adaptation).
- With tofu: add a few cubes of soft tofu to the strained broth with the fish; they poach in the same 45 seconds (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Why strain the broth?
To keep it clear and golden and to remove the tough lemongrass and chilli pieces, which are flavouring agents, not ingredients to eat. The source strains everything out.
Can I use a different sour vegetable?
Rinsed pickled mustard is the closest substitute, but Yunnan pickled vegetables have a distinct fermented tang. Kimchi is not a substitute — its flavour profile is different.
Why did my fish turn tough?
It was sliced too thick or poached too long. Three millimetres and forty-five seconds, timed, is the source's standard.
Storage
Best eaten fresh; the fish toughens on reheating. Keep broth and fish separate for up to 1 day refrigerated; reheat the broth to a boil and poach fresh fish to serve. Do not freeze.
Sour Soup Fish — Recipe Card
Grass carp poached 45 seconds in a clear golden sour broth with lemongrass and pickled vegetables.
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 15 minutesTotal: 30 minutesServings: 1–2 (adaptation: the source portion is ~500 g finished)
Ingredients: 200 g grass carp fillet; 300 ml stock; 50 g Yunnan pickled vegetables; 10 g lemongrass; 10 g ginger; 10 g garlic; 5 g chillies; 3 g salt; 1 egg white; 5 g starch; 1 g white pepper; 20 ml oil; 5 ml hot oil.
Steps: 1) Marinate sliced fish with salt, egg white, starch. 2) Fry ginger, garlic, chillies 30 seconds; add pickles and lemongrass, fry 2 minutes. 3) Add stock, simmer 10 minutes, strain. 4) Boil broth, poach fish 45 seconds. 5) Hot oil finish, season, serve at ≥85 °C.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 酸汤鱼 (data/reports/153.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 (酸汤鱼_153.jpeg). The fish-marinade egg-white and starch quantities are not specified in the source and are labelled home adaptations; the finishing hot oil appears only in the source serving step and is labelled as such; the source makes 300 ml of broth and serves 250 ml, and this page uses the full strained broth for one bowl, labelled as an adaptation. The 1–2 serving presentation is an adaptation.