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From @Chinese Cooking Demystified

Dipping Sauce Tilapia (蘸水罗非鱼)

30 min · Serves 2

30 mintotal
15 minhands on
26steps
2servings

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Ingredients

For the herbaceous dipping sauce (option 1)

  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp MSG
  • 1/4 tsp Sichuan pepper powder
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 15 g scallion, chopped
  • 20 g cilantro, minced
  • 20 g culantro (or cilantro), minced
  • 3 fresh spicy red chilies, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp chili flakes (preferably toasted or smoked)
  • 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 2–3 ladles of fish soup broth

For the sizzling chili oil dipping sauce (option 2)

  • 6 g mint, chopped
  • 6 g cilantro, chopped
  • 6 g culantro (or cilantro), chopped
  • 2 fresh spicy red chilies, minced
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp MSG
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tbsp chili flakes (preferably toasted or smoked)
  • 1/2 tbsp red fragrant chili powder (such as Kashmiri or Gochugaru)
  • 1/4 cup fish soup broth

For the broth

  • 1 1/2 tbsp lard (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 1/2 inch ginger, smashed
  • 1 Tsaoko (Chinese black cardamom), sliced in half and peeled (use peel only)
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn
  • 1 L water
  • 40 g carrot, thinly sliced
  • 6 pieces Romaine lettuce
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp MSG
  • 1/8 tsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper

For the tilapia (Xinping style)

  • 750 g whole tilapia, chopped into 1.5-inch sections

For the tilapia (Western supermarket style)

  • 200 g pork ribs, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 350 g tilapia fillets, sliced at an angle into 3 mm thick sheets
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp peanut oil

Method

For the herbaceous dipping sauce (option 1)

  1. Add the salt, MSG, Sichuan pepper powder, soy sauce, chopped scallion, minced cilantro, minced culantro, minced red chilies, minced garlic, chili flakes, and toasted sesame seeds into a bowl.

For the sizzling chili oil dipping sauce (option 2)

  1. Add the chopped mint, cilantro, culantro, minced chilies, minced garlic, soy sauce, MSG, salt, and chicken bouillon powder to a bowl.

  2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a small pan until smoking (around 430°F / 220°C).

  3. Let the oil cool down to around 355°F (180°C), then stir in the chili flakes and red chili powder.

  4. Pour the sizzling oil over the ingredients in the bowl.

  5. Add 1/4 cup of fish soup broth and mix well.

For the broth

  1. Heat lard or oil in a wok or pot over medium-low heat.

  2. Add the smashed ginger, Tsaoko peel, and Sichuan peppercorns.

  3. Fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  4. Pour in 1 L of cool water and bring it to a boil.

  5. Add the sliced carrots into the boiling broth.

For the tilapia (Xinping style)

  1. Add the chopped whole tilapia to the boiling broth.

  2. Cover and cook at a boil for 2 minutes.

    Then 2 min of waiting

  3. Season the broth with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp MSG, 1/8 tsp chicken bouillon powder, and 1/2 tsp white pepper.

  4. Add the Romaine lettuce and let it barely wilt, about 30 seconds.

  5. Transfer everything into a serving bowl.

  6. Ladle a few spoonfuls of broth into the herbaceous dipping sauce bowl and mix well before serving.

For the tilapia (Western supermarket style)

  1. Add the pork ribs into the boiling broth.

  2. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

    Then 15 min of waiting

  3. Season the broth with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp MSG, 1/8 tsp chicken bouillon powder, and 1/2 tsp white pepper.

  4. Add the Romaine lettuce, let it barely wilt, and remove the lettuce, carrots, and pork ribs into a serving bowl, leaving the soup in the wok.

  5. Marinate the tilapia fillet slices with 1/8 tsp salt and 1 tsp peanut oil, mixing well.

  6. Bring the remaining soup back to a heavy simmer and gently add the fish slices.

  7. Cook until the fish slices change color and turn opaque, about 30 seconds.

  8. Remove the fish slices gently and lay them on top of the cooked ingredients in the serving bowl.

  9. Pour the warm soup over the bowl and serve alongside your choice of dipping sauce.

  10. Substitution options for the spice mix (Tsaoko + Sichuan peppercorn):

  11. Sub 1: Use 25 g ginger total, with no additional spices.

  12. Sub 2: Use 15 g ginger and 1/2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns.

  13. Sub 3: Sub 2 plus a grate of nutmeg.

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