Dry-Braised Rock Carp

Dry-Braised Rock Carp

　　Dry-Braised Rock Carp is made by frying and braising the Sichuan specialty rock carp with pork. It is a delicacy in Sichuan-style banquet dishes. The finished dish has a golden-red glossy appearance, with firm, tender fish meat that is flavorful, fragrant, and slightly spicy.

　　The rock carp’s scientific name is Procypris rabaudi, also known as black carp. It is found in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the drainage basins of the Jialing and Jinsha rivers, living in deep waters with rocky bottoms, often hiding among rocks. It has a thick, plump body with firm and tender meat. The dry-braising method is unique to Sichuan chefs, involving cooking the fish in a generous amount of flavorful meat broth and seasonings until the sauce reduces and fully infuses the fish. The Sichuan culinary world refers to this technique as “self-thickening” or “natural sauce reduction.”

　　Select a rock carp, scale it, gut it, and wash it clean. Score both sides of the fish, coat it thoroughly with Shaoxing wine and fine salt, then fry it in oil until the skin is wrinkled. Remove the fish from the pan. In the same pan, add cold oil and gradually increase the heat to stir-fry pickled chili peppers, finely chopped broad bean paste, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Then add fresh broth and simmer until aromatic, removing the spice residue. Return the fish to the pan along with stir-fried crispy pork cubes, salt, glutinous rice wine, sugar, and vinegar. Once the broth boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly until the sauce thickens and the fish is well-flavored. The dish is then ready.