Essential mullet roe for the Lunar New Year: A five-star chef teaches you 3 simple ways to cook it

▲ Mullet roe is a must-eat dish for many people during the holidays.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

Mullet roe is one of the must-have dishes during Lunar New Year family gatherings, and preparing it is actually not difficult. Chef Dong Qingqin from the Michelin Taiwanese Restaurant at Grand Mayfull Hotel says the easiest ways to cook mullet roe are pan-frying it in a skillet, torching it directly with 58% high-proof sorghum liquor, or using a gas torch—which not every household has.


▲ Remove the outer skin before cooking.

Chef Dong Qingqin says mullet roe has an outer skin that needs to be removed before cooking. You can soak it in rice wine and then peel it off, which also helps remove the fishy smell, though soaking it in water and peeling it works too. Once that’s done, you can start cooking. The first method is pan-frying the mullet roe in a skillet. First, pour some oil into the pan, then place the mullet roe in. Next, pour in some rice wine and sear both sides over high heat for about 40 seconds each. Once the rice wine evaporates, it’s ready to serve. Don’t overcook it, as overcooking will make the mullet roe soft and lose its firmness.


▲ The first method is pan-frying in a skillet.


▲ The second method is torching with high-proof sorghum liquor.


▲ The third method is using a gas torch.

The second method, which many people use, involves lighting 58% high-proof sorghum liquor directly to torch the mullet roe. Again, you need to peel off the outer skin beforehand and also drizzle some sorghum liquor on the roe. Once the liquor is lit, let the mullet roe roast over the flame until the surface changes color and gets slightly charred. This will give the mullet roe a crispy outside and soft inside, without being sticky. The third method is using a gas torch to directly torch the roe. Although Chef Dong Qingqin believes using a torch is faster and provides even charring, resulting in a crispy outside and soft inside, he notes that not every household has a gas torch.

Do you have to eat mullet roe with garlic shoots? Actually, besides garlic shoots, you can also pair it with white radish or apple.


▲ Chef Dong says slicing it this way will give you very thick pieces.