White Water Fish

Name: White Water Fish (Bak Soi Yue)
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 1 whole sea bass, 1½ to 1¾ pounds: clean and wash well, remove all membranes, dry thoroughly; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2½ tablespoons light soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; Pinch of white pepper; 1 teaspoon white vinegar; 3 scallions: wash, discard ends, cut into 3 pieces; 3 tablespoons peanut oil; 2 garlic cloves, whole and peeled; 6 fresh mint leaves; 4 fresh bay leaves; 3 quarts cold water; 2 scallions: wash, dry, discard all green portions, shred white portions into 1½-inch pieces; 3 teaspoons sugar; 1 teaspoon white wine; 2 tablespoons shredded ginger; 2 teaspoons salt

Bak Soi Yue

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Chinese Banquet Cookbook

By Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Published 1985

About

This is called white water, as were the shrimp, because it is cooked, or poached, in boiling, bubbling, “white” water. This preparation is native to Suzhou, near Shanghai. There, a fish called Ching Yue, or a toothed green fish like a carp, is used. There are of course no green fish here, so I make this Suzhou dish with sea bass.

Ingredients

3 quarts cold water

Asia
China
Suzhou
Shanghai
Fish course
Pescatarian

Method

In an oval Dutch oven bring 3 quarts water to a boil and add all “White Water” ingredients. Boil over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Place the fish in the liquid, cover, and turn off heat. Let fish sit for 10 minutes. Remove fish, place in a serving dish, and discard the other in