1 hr
Hands-on time
+ 48 hr soaking or marinating first
MediumDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Method
- 1 Wash the glutinous rice, extract the thick rice water, then sprinkle in yeast and let it ferment in a warm place for 48 hours until the water turns sour.
- 2 Fermented rice water has a sour, clear, white taste, unlike the red sour version made with tomatoes and chili peppers.
- 3 The liquid should be distinctly sour and clear; if it's still sweet, it hasn't fermented enough.
- 4 Simmer sour rice water with ginger, garlic, and Sichuan dried chili peppers for 12 minutes.
- 5 Add the fish fillets and cook for 8 minutes without stirring, just shake the pot.
- 6 Add the bean sprouts at the last minute, then sprinkle with crushed roasted Sichuan peppercorns and cilantro.
With an appliance
-
Microwave 56 min
Replace step 5: Place the fish in a single layer in the hot broth, cover loosely, and microwave at 500W for 4 minutes, then rest for 1 minute; reduce the heating time to about 3 minutes. The fish will cook until tender without needing to be shaken, so it will be less likely to break apart. The sour rice water from steps 1–4 still needs to be fermented and seasoned beforehand; bean sprouts are only added after microwaving.