Fish Head with Pancake

Fish Head with Pancake

　　Ingredients for Fish Head with Pancake:

Main ingredients: one crucian carp head, 2–3 taels of streaky pork, pre-fried savory pancake

Ingredients: scallions, dried chili peppers, green onions, ginger, garlic, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, ketchup, salt, MSG, broth, and peanut oil as needed

Cooking process:

Step 1: Preparation — Wash the crucian carp head and cut it (i.e., split the head into two connected pieces from the lower jaw). Slice the streaky pork into long strips and set aside in a dish. Cut the pre-fried savory pancake into diamond-shaped pieces of similar size and place them in another dish. Chop the scallions into 2 cm segments and put them in a bowl. Finely chop the green onions and ginger, and slice the garlic; set aside.

Step 2: In a wok, pour in peanut oil and heat it to 60% hot. Add the crucian carp head and deep-fry until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove with a strainer, drain the oil, and set aside in a dish.

Step 3: Add more oil to the wok, then put in the sliced streaky pork. Add the chopped green onions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers, and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add light soy sauce and ketchup, stir a couple more times, and pour in an appropriate amount of broth. Add the fried fish head, along with salt, MSG, and other seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and plate.

Step 4: Place the sliced savory pancakes on one side of the plate, then sprinkle with the chopped scallion segments.

Plating: Do not scatter the streaky pork randomly on the plate; instead, layer it neatly over the fish head. Garnish the edge of the plate with cucumber slices, and arrange carrots and cilantro into shapes to enhance the color of the dish.

Flavor: The fish head is salty, savory, slightly spicy, tender, and richly aromatic. The streaky pork is juicy without being greasy. The savory pancake is crispy and becomes soft and delicious when dipped in the soup.

Origin: Eating noodles or dough dipped in soup is a simple traditional way of eating in the Northeast. This dish is also a specialty of the Northeastern rural cuisine.