A specialty of Xinping, Yunnan, this dish simmers tilapia (or fillets plus pork ribs) into a light, fragrant soup, served alongside a punchy chili or herb-based dipping sauce. Simple to cook yet deeply flavorful — a comforting home-style meal.
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Adapted from a video by Chinese Cooking Demystified
Tilapia (whole fish, chopped, Yunnan-style)Chopped into ~1.5 inch sections750 g
Pork ribs (western supermarket mix option)Chopped into ~1 inch pieces200 g
Fish fillet (western supermarket mix option)Sliced at an angle into ~3mm sheets350 g
Romaine lettuceOptional but recommended6 pieces
Carrot, thinly sliced40 g
Ginger, smashedAbout 1.5 inches long1½ pieces
Chinese black cardamom (caoguo)Halved and peeled, keep only the peel1
Sichuan peppercorn
1 tsp
Oil (lard preferred)1½ tbsp
Water1 liter
Salt¼ tsp
MSG¼ tsp
Chicken powder1/8 tsp
White pepper½ tsp
Salt (for marinating fillets, western mix)1/8 tsp
Peanut oil (for marinating fillets)1 tsp
Mint, chopped (for chili oil dip)6 g
Cilantro, chopped (for chili oil dip)6 g
Culantro, chopped (for chili oil dip; substitute more cilantro if unavailable)6 g
Fresh spicy chilis, minced (for chili oil dip)2
Garlic clove (for chili oil dip)1 large clove, minced1 clove
Soy sauce (for chili oil dip)½ tbsp
MSG (for chili oil dip)¼ tsp
Salt (for chili oil dip)1/8 tsp
Chicken bouillon (for chili oil dip)1/8 tsp
Oil (for sizzling over chili flakes)2 tbsp
Chili flakes, preferably toasted or smoked½ tbsp
Fragrant red chili powder (e.g. Kashmiri or gochugaru)½ tbsp
Fish soup (mixed into chili oil dip)¼ cups
Salt (for herbaceous dip)¼ tsp
MSG (for herbaceous dip)¼ tsp
Sichuan pepper powder (for herbaceous dip)¼ tsp
Soy sauce (for herbaceous dip)1 tbsp
Chopped scallion (for herbaceous dip)15 g
Cilantro, minced (for herbaceous dip)20 g
Culantro, minced (for herbaceous dip; substitute cilantro if unavailable)20 g
Fresh spicy chilis, minced (for herbaceous dip)3
Garlic, minced (for herbaceous dip)2 cloves
Chili flakes (for herbaceous dip, preferably toasted or smoked)2 tsp
Toasted sesame seeds (for herbaceous dip)½ tbsp
Fish soup (mixed into herbaceous dip)A few ladles of soup~½ cupest.
Steps
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1
Prep ingredients depending on which version you're making: chop whole tilapia into ~1.5 inch sections, or slice fillets at an angle into ~3mm sheets and cut pork ribs into ~1 inch pieces. Slice the lettuce and carrot. Smash the ginger, halve and peel the cardamom (keeping only the peel), and measure out the Sichuan peppercorn.
2
Heat about 1.5 tbsp oil (lard preferred) in a pot over medium-low heat, then fry the ginger, cardamom peel, and Sichuan peppercorn for about 1 minute until fragrant.
3
Add 1 liter of cold water and bring to a boil. Add the carrot, then either the whole fish pieces (Yunnan style) or the pork ribs (fillet version). Simmer the fish version for about 2 minutes, or the ribs for about 15 minutes.
4
Season the soup with salt, MSG, chicken powder, and white pepper, stirring to dissolve. Add the lettuce and let it just wilt, then transfer everything with the soup into a bowl (this applies to the whole-fish version).
5
For the fillet version, keep the soup in the pot. Marinate the fish slices with salt and peanut oil, then bring the soup back to a strong simmer. Gently add the fillets and cook briefly — about 30 seconds until they change color — then lift them out and lay them over the ribs.
6
For the chili oil dip: combine chopped mint, cilantro, culantro, minced fresh chilis, garlic, soy sauce, MSG, salt, and chicken bouillon in a bowl.
7
Heat oil until smoking (~220°C), let it cool to about 180°C, then pour it over the chili flakes and red chili powder to sizzle. Pour this hot oil into the dip bowl, mix well, then stir in a splash of the fish soup to finish the chili oil dip.
8
For the herbaceous dip: mix salt, MSG, Sichuan pepper powder, soy sauce, chopped scallion, cilantro, culantro, minced fresh chilis, garlic, chili flakes, and toasted sesame seeds. Stir in a few ladles of the fish soup to finish.
9
Serve the cooked fish and soup at the table alongside your preferred dip, dunking each bite as you eat — great with a bowl of rice.
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