Braised Fish

Braised Fish

　　Ingredients for braised fish:

Main ingredient: 1000g of largehead hairtail.

Secondary ingredients: 80g lard (leaf lard).

Seasonings: 10g vinegar, 50g garlic (white skin), 6g salt, 5g scallion (green onion), 20g caramel color, 50g vegetable oil, 10g ginger juice, 30g white sugar, 3g star anise, 3g monosodium glutamate (MSG), 2g ginger, 5g cornstarch, 25g cooking wine, 30g soy sauce.

Features of braised fish:

Deep red color, bright sauce, sweet and salty taste, tender and delicious.

How to make braised fish:

1. Clean and gut the fish (largehead hairtail), remove scales and gills, rinse and drain. Score both sides diagonally in a crisscross pattern, cut into two pieces, and marinate with ginger juice and cooking wine.

2. Cut the lard into small cubes.

3. Slice 20g of garlic, dice 30g, and finely chop the scallions and ginger.

4. Heat oil in a wok until it reaches 70–80% heat. First place the fish head, then the tail. Add the lard and diced garlic and fry until golden brown, then remove them together.

5. Add more oil to the wok, add star anise and let it release aroma. Sauté with chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic slices, pour in cooking wine, add broth, and put the fish, lard cubes, and garlic cubes into the wok to braise together.

6. Once the broth boils, skim off the foam, cover and simmer over low heat. After the fish has absorbed the flavor, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce. Add caramel color, adjust the seasoning, place the fish on a plate, thicken the remaining sauce slightly, drizzle with hot oil, and pour over the fish.

Tips for making braised fish:

1. When stewing the fish, ensure the broth covers the fish. When reducing the sauce, ladle the sauce over the fish using a spoon to ensure the top side absorbs flavor.

2. Due to the deep-frying process, prepare 1500g of vegetable oil.