Ingredients
Units
Scale
- Fermented Tomato Base:
- 5 kg of fresh wild tomatoes (which can be replaced by cultivated cherry tomatoes when the wild ones are not available), diced and seeds squeezed out
- 500 g peeled minced ginger
- 250 g peeled minced garlic
- 1 kg red bell pepper, finely chopped and de-seeded
- 500 g kosher salt
- 100 g glutinous rice flour
- 250 g Baiju white spirit
- 1/2 cup fresh Celery leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro
- 1/8 cup fresh Sawtooth herb (aka culantro) – if unavailable, substitute cilantro or omit)
- 1/8 cup fresh Thai basil (if unavailable, use regular basil with some freshly-ground fennel seeds)
- 1/3 cup hong zao, minced with pit removed if they are present
- 1/2 cup fresh sauerkraut
- 1/4 cup Tianjin preserved vegetable (can replace with sauerkraut if you can’t find it)
- 1/3 cup shaoxing rice wine (if unavailable, use dry sherry)
- 6 Shallots, peeled and diced
- 1 small hand of young ginger, diced (if young ginger is unavailable, use 1/2 small hand of peeled regular ginger)
- 2 Tbsp. 6 year aged kanzuri (or to taste)
- 3 Tbsp. Pixian 3 year aged doubanjiang
- 1/2 cup pickled Sichuan peppers, chopped
- bottled water as needed to cover ingredients
- ***
- 2 1/4 lbs. cleaned carp or farmed catfish fillets
- 2 fresh bay leaves (preferred) or 2 dried
- 2 star anise
- low-salt canned chicken or vegetable stock or homemade (preferred) as needed
- ***
- For garnish:
- 1 cup fresh soybean sprouts
- 1 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots
- 4 scallions, minced
- some chili paste, chili crisp, kanzuri and doubanjiang to stir in to each individual soup serving
- More fresh celery leaves, cilantro, sawtooth herb, Thai basil
Instructions
- Add glutionous rice flour and baiju in a pickling crock, combine together. Add all remaining ingredients for fermented tomato base to the pickling crock – add enough bottled water so that everything is covered in liquid. Combine, seal crock and stir once a day for two weeks, resealing after each stir – do NOT reuse the unwashed spoon or contaminate the pickling mixture by putting your fingers into it.
- After two weeks, pour out ingredients into a pot large enough to easily hold the ingredients. Use an immersion blender and process to a smooth consistency.
- Turn the stove onto medium-high heat, add the bay leaves and star anise and bring just to a boil. Then turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid anything burning on the bottom of the pot. Taste – if needed, add chicken or vegetable stock to get the flavor and consistency to where you like it – remember it MUST be sour!
- Add the carp or catfish fillets. You can cut them into pieces or keep whole, as you see fit.
- Cook for about 15 minutes or until just cooked through.
- Ladle into bowls, top with garnishes and let diners add condiments as they see fit to their individual bowls.
