Dipping sauce tilapia

Mix one: chop one whole tilapia, 750 g, into about 1.5 inch sections.

Mix two: chop 200 g of ribs into about 1 inch pieces and slice 350 g of fillet at an angle into about 3 millimetre sheets.

Prepare six pieces of romaine lettuce and 40 g of thinly sliced carrot.

Smash an inch and a half of ginger, halve and peel one Cao Guo keeping just the peel, and measure a teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn.

Add about a tablespoon and a half of oil, or lard, to a pot or wok and fry the ginger and spices over a medium low flame until fragrant, about one minute.

Add one liter of cool water and bring to a boil, then toss in the carrot.

For the whole fish, add it now and cook two minutes; for the fillet version, add the pork ribs instead and cook fifteen.

Season the soup with the salt, MSG, chicken bouillon powder and white pepper and let them dissolve.

Add the lettuce, let it just barely wilt, then transfer everything to a bowl.

For the western mix, leave the soup in the pot and marinate the fish slices with an eighth teaspoon of salt.

Coat the fish with a teaspoon of peanut oil and mix well.

With the soup back at a heavy simmer, add the fish gently; once they change colour, about 30 seconds, take them out and lay them onto the ribs.