Sauce-braised Fish Cubes

Sauce-braised Fish Cubes

　　Hebei cuisine features three major schools: Central-Southern Hebei, Imperial & Frontier, and Eastern-Hebei Coastal. The Eastern-Hebei school, centered around Tangshan, excels in cooking fresh seafood. It is characterized by abundant ingredients, delicate knife skills, a light and fresh flavor, an emphasis on clear oil and starch-thickened sauces, and elegant presentation using finely crafted Tangshan porcelain—offering a distinctive style.

　　The recipe for Sauce-braised Fish Cubes has a long history, and you can experience the charm of these distinctive flavors during preparation. This is a unique Hebei specialty, primarily made with silver carp, cooked using a pickled vegetable-based method, and featuring a sweet-and-sour taste. With abundant ingredients, delicate knife work, a fresh flavor, an emphasis on clear oil and starch-thickened sauces, and elegant presentation using finely crafted Tangshan porcelain—it stands out as a special dish.

　　Sauce-braised Fish Cubes is a signature dish of Hebei, also listed among therapeutic dietary recipes for nourishing health, and is highly beneficial for improving symptoms.

　　　Ingredients: white sugar, vinegar, broad bean, broad bean paste, black carp, fish meat, vegetable oil

　　Condiments: scallion, scallion greens, garlic, ginger, starch 　　

　　Seasonings: white sugar, cooking wine, water, salt, soy sauce, MSG

　　 Method

　　　　1. Clean the fish thoroughly, then slice it along the bone from tail to head into two fillets (one may include the backbone), then cut into 3 cm pieces. Make a horizontal slit in the middle of each Sauce-braised Fish Cube

　　(to slightly lift the flesh), then lightly salt them. 2. Finely chop the scallions, ginger, and garlic. 3. Mix some water into dry starch to make a thick paste for later use. 4. Prepare the sauce by mixing white sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, MSG, and wet starch. 5. Heat vegetable oil in a pan. Toss the fish cubes in the starch paste, coat evenly, and fry them in batches until the skin turns light golden and crispy. Remove and place on a plate. 6. Leave a little oil in the pan, stir-fry the broad bean paste, scallion greens, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then pour in the prepared sauce, stir well, and pour over the fish.

　　 Nutrition & Benefits

　　　　Black Carp: With thick, tender flesh and a delicious taste, black carp is rich not only in protein and fat but also in trace elements such as selenium and iodine, giving it anti-aging and Sauce-braised Fish Cubes

　　anti-cancer properties. Its mild and sweet flavor helps boost qi, strengthen the spleen, nourish the stomach, resolve dampness, dispel wind, and promote urination, helping to prevent pregnancy-related edema. Starch (corn): Corn is recognized worldwide as a “golden crop,” leading cereal grains in fat, phosphorus, and vitamin B2 content. It also contains linoleic acid and vitamin E, which help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis. Its high calcium and iron content help prevent hypertension and coronary heart disease. It also contains the trace element selenium, which accelerates the breakdown of peroxides in the body and inhibits malignant tumors. Additionally, its rich dietary fiber promotes intestinal motility, shortens digestion time, reduces absorption of toxins, and minimizes colon irritation from carcinogens, thereby lowering the risk of colon cancer.

　　 Food Incompatibilities

　　　　Black Carp: Should not be eaten with plums; avoid frying with beef or mutton tallow; should not be consumed with schizonepeta, white atractylodes, or rhizoma atractylodis. Sauce-braised Fish Cubes