Pan-fried and Braised Mandarin Fish Head and Tail

Pan-fried and Braised Mandarin Fish Head and Tail

　　【Main Ingredients】1250g of mandarin fish head and tail.

　　 【Accompaniments】100g of winter bamboo shoots, 2.5g each of soaked dried mushrooms, scallion sections, and ginger pieces.

　　 【Seasonings】200g of cooking oil, 50g of soy sauce, 2.5g of MSG, 25g of cooking wine, 10g of salt brine, 30g of sugar, 400g of first-stock broth.

　　 【Preparation Method】

　　 1. Cut off the fish head from the outside of the pectoral fin, and cut the fish tail 5cm from the base of the tail fin. Split the head and neck meat from behind the gills. Slice the fish head vertically into long pieces about 13mm wide. Dice the neck meat, then arrange the fish head on a plate. Split the fish tail from the tail fin and dice it into five pieces, arranging them in order at the tail’s position. Dice an additional 3cm middle section and place it in the center of the tail. Cut the winter bamboo shoots into rough cubes, and arrange the mushrooms, scallion sections, and ginger pieces together on the steaming pad.

　　 2. Place the pan on the stove, add the cooking oil, put in the head and tail pieces, and fry both sides until golden brown. Place them skin-side down on the steaming pad.

　　 3. Return the pan to the heat, add cooking oil and first-stock broth, mix in the seasonings, place the prepared steaming pad inside, and braise over high heat before simmering to reduce the sauce. Once the sauce thickens and the fish is cooked with a bright reddish color, transfer to a serving dish and pour the sauce on top.

　　 【Features】Richly aromatic, tender and fresh, with a deep jujube-red color.

　　 【Story】A traditional famous dish from Henan, it once earned high praise from Kang Youwei, a prominent scholar of the late Qing Dynasty. In 1923, when Kang Youwei visited Kaifeng for scholarly pursuits, the remnants of the Qing Dynasty hosted a banquet for him at the Youyixin Restaurant. Renowned chefs such as Huang Runsheng from Changyuan County meticulously prepared signature Kaifeng dishes including Pan-fried and Braised Mandarin Fish Head and Tail. After tasting, Kang Youwei repeatedly expressed his delight and, drawing inspiration from the historical tale of the Five Marquises of the Later Han Dynasty cooking mandarin fish, inscribed the four large characters “Flavor Cooked Like Marquis’ Dish.” Delighted beyond words, Kang later wrote on a folding fan, “If you have a confidant within the seas, I am your humble Kang Youwei,” which he gifted to Chef Huang Runsheng. Since then, this dish has been hailed as the “Exquisite Flavor” and has enjoyed enduring fame.