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Qianjiang Snakehead Fish Noodles
I didn’t go home over Labor Day, and I saw so many people enjoying Caiyu Noodles that it made me crave them terribly. Since this dish seems to be unique to the Jianghan Plain, I tried to recreate it based on my memories of its taste and the side dishes shown in photos. It’s pretty […]
- Prep
- 27m
- Cook
- 45m
- Total
- 1h 12m
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Spice
- 1/5
- Cuisine
- Chinese
IngredientsWhat you'll need for Qianjiang Snakehead Fish Noodles
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Snakehead fish | 1 as needed |
| Cornstarch / Sweet potato starch | as needed |
| Doubanjiang (chili bean paste) | 1 as needed |
| Boiling water | 1 as needed |
| Green chilies | 2 as needed |
| Onion | 1 small |
| Ginger | 3–4 |
| Tomatoes | 2 as needed |
| Garlic scapes | 1 as needed |
| Scallions | 1 as needed |
| White pepper powder | as needed |
| MSG | as needed |
| Salt | as needed |
| Chicken bouillon powder | as needed |
| Cooking oil | as needed |
| Noodles | as needed |
- Snakehead fish1 as needed
- Cornstarch / Sweet potato starchas needed
- Doubanjiang (chili bean paste)1 as needed
- Boiling water1 as needed
- Green chilies2 as needed
- Onion1 small
- Ginger3–4
- Tomatoes2 as needed
- Garlic scapes1 as needed
- Scallions1 as needed
- White pepper powderas needed
- MSGas needed
- Saltas needed
- Chicken bouillon powderas needed
- Cooking oilas needed
- Noodlesas needed
Cooking StepsHow to cook Qianjiang Snakehead Fish Noodles step by step
-
Step 1Slice the snakehead fish into fillets and rinse clean. Add a small amount of cornstarch or sweet potato starch, MSG to taste, salt to taste, and chicken bouillon powder to taste. Mix well with chopsticks or by hand, then set aside to marinate briefly. Save the fish head for later use.
-
Step 2Prep all the vegetables: dice the tomatoes, slice the ginger, chop the onion, cut the garlic scapes, and chop the scallions. Note: scallions go in at the very end. Cut the chilies to your preferred shape.
-
Step 3Doubanjiang — this is the soul of the dish.
-
Step 4Heat the wok and add oil, then toss in the prepped aromatics. (Your kettle of boiling water should be ready by now.) Once the wok is hot, add cooking oil; when the oil is hot, add the sliced ginger, garlic scapes, tomatoes, onion, fish head, and one tablespoon of doubanjiang. Stir-fry over medium-high heat. Once the fish head flesh turns white, pour in the boiling water along the side of the wok — the combination of high heat and boiling water creates a rich, milky broth.
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Step 5Slide the marinated snakehead fish fillets into the broth. Season the soup with salt and white pepper to taste, then cover and simmer. When the fish fillets have all turned opaque (fully cooked), scoop up a spoonful of broth and taste for seasoning — add more salt if needed. Cover again and simmer a bit longer, then it’s ready to serve.
-
Step 6Cook the noodles, drain well, and place in a bowl. Ladle the snakehead fish and rich broth over the noodles. Final step: scatter chopped scallions on top — done! Note: You can cook the noodles simultaneously while the fish simmers. Restaurant-style noodles are usually rinsed in cold water for a chewier texture, but I skip that step at home and just drain them after boiling.
Qianjiang Snakehead Fish Noodles
I didn’t go home over Labor Day, and I saw so many people enjoying Caiyu Noodles that it made me crave them terribly. Since this dish seems to be unique to the Jianghan Plain, I tried to recreate it based on my memories of its taste and the side dishes shown in photos. It’s pretty […]
Ingredients
- 1 as needed Snakehead fish
- as needed Cornstarch / Sweet potato starch
- 1 as needed Doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
- 1 as needed Boiling water
- 2 as needed Green chilies
- 1 small Onion
- 3–4 Ginger
- 2 as needed Tomatoes
- 1 as needed Garlic scapes
- 1 as needed Scallions
- as needed White pepper powder
- as needed MSG
- as needed Salt
- as needed Chicken bouillon powder
- as needed Cooking oil
- as needed Noodles
Instructions
-
Slice the snakehead fish into fillets and rinse clean. Add a small amount of cornstarch or sweet potato starch, MSG to taste, salt to taste, and chicken bouillon powder to taste. Mix well with chopsticks or by hand, then set aside to marinate briefly. Save the fish head for later use.
-
Prep all the vegetables: dice the tomatoes, slice the ginger, chop the onion, cut the garlic scapes, and chop the scallions. Note: scallions go in at the very end. Cut the chilies to your preferred shape.
-
Doubanjiang — this is the soul of the dish.
-
Heat the wok and add oil, then toss in the prepped aromatics. (Your kettle of boiling water should be ready by now.) Once the wok is hot, add cooking oil; when the oil is hot, add the sliced ginger, garlic scapes, tomatoes, onion, fish head, and one tablespoon of doubanjiang. Stir-fry over medium-high heat. Once the fish head flesh turns white, pour in the boiling water along the side of the wok — the combination of high heat and boiling water creates a rich, milky broth.
-
Slide the marinated snakehead fish fillets into the broth. Season the soup with salt and white pepper to taste, then cover and simmer. When the fish fillets have all turned opaque (fully cooked), scoop up a spoonful of broth and taste for seasoning — add more salt if needed. Cover again and simmer a bit longer, then it’s ready to serve.
-
Cook the noodles, drain well, and place in a bowl. Ladle the snakehead fish and rich broth over the noodles. Final step: scatter chopped scallions on top — done! Note: You can cook the noodles simultaneously while the fish simmers. Restaurant-style noodles are usually rinsed in cold water for a chewier texture, but I skip that step at home and just drain them after boiling.
