How to make steamed Mandarin fish? A detailed guide to common methods
Steamed Mandarin fish is a traditional Han Chinese dish from Fujian, belonging to the Fujian cuisine system. Its features are a pale and pleasing color, a flavor resembling crab meat, and a rich, fresh aroma. Let us take a look below at the common methods for making steamed Mandarin fish!
Method one for making steamed Mandarin fish
[Ingredients] 750 g Mandarin fish, 15 g ham, 30 g winter bamboo shoots, 25 g shiitake mushrooms (fresh), 10 g lard (pork fat), 10 g ginger, 15 g scallion, 4 g salt, 3 g monosodium glutamate, 20 g yellow rice wine, 10 g vinegar.
[Method]
1. Kill the Mandarin fish, remove the thin skin, remove the internal organs, wash clean, blanch in boiling water, take it out, scrape clean, score the fish body on both sides, and place on a plate.
2. Pour the shiitake mushroom slices, winter bamboo shoot slices, dried shrimp, scallion, ginger, and lard (45 g) over the fish, then add salt, sugar, wine, soy sauce, and clear broth, steam in a steamer until cooked, remove the scallion and ginger, and it is ready.
Method two for making steamed Mandarin fish
[Ingredients] 750 g Mandarin fish, cooked ham, winter bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, pork fat, yellow rice wine, refined salt, ginger slices, scallion knots, scallion sections, monosodium glutamate, clear broth.
[Method]
1. Cut open and wash the Mandarin fish, blanch briefly in a boiling water pot, remove, and gently scrape off the mucus on the fish with a knife.
2. Place the fish with the mucus scraped clean flat on a cutting board, use a knife close to the backbone to make a cut from the head down to the tail, turn it over, and on the upward-facing side of the body make a crosshatch cut (or make deep diagonal slices down to the bone).
3. Slice the cooked ham.
4. Peel the winter bamboo shoots, wash clean, blanch in boiling water until cooked, and slice.
5. Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and wash clean.
6. Wash the pork fat clean and cut into cubes.
7. Place the Mandarin fish in a large oval plate with the scored side facing up, arrange the bamboo shoot slices, shiitake mushrooms, pork fat cubes, and ham slices alternately on the fish body, add yellow rice wine, refined salt, ginger slices, and scallion knots, and steam in a steamer over high heat for 15 minutes until cooked.
8. After removing from the steamer, pick out the scallion and ginger, and pour the original juices into a small bowl for later use.
9. Add scallion sections, monosodium glutamate, and 50 ml of clear broth to the original juice soup, adjust the seasoning, bring to a boil, and pour over the fish. Serve with minced ginger and vinegar for dipping.
Method three for making steamed Mandarin fish
[Ingredients] Mandarin fish, scallion, facing-heaven pepper, ginger, seafood soy sauce, salt, cooking wine.
[Method]
1. Slice the ginger, cut the scallion into fine shreds, and cut the facing-heaven pepper into small sections; set aside.
2. Remove the scales and internal organs from the Mandarin fish, wash clean, dry the fish with kitchen paper, and make several horizontal cuts on the fish body with a knife to help it absorb flavor.
3. Rub salt, cooking wine, and ginger slices on the fish body, place ginger chunks and scallion heads inside the fish belly to hold out the shape, and marinate for ten minutes.
4. After steam appears in the steamer, add the marinated fish and steam over medium heat for about ten minutes.
5. After turning off the heat, do not rush to take out the fish; use the residual heat to steam it for another five minutes.
6. Pour a little water into the seafood soy sauce and mix evenly, pour it over the fish after taking it out, then add the facing-heaven pepper sections, and finally add the scallion shreds.
7. Heat a wok until it smokes, pour in salad oil and heat until hot, pour the hot oil over the fish body, and it is done.
The history and culture of steamed Mandarin fish
Mandarin fish is also called Gui fish, Jihua fish, or fat Mandarin fish. Its meat is firm and tender with few bones, and it is a premium edible freshwater fish. Steamed Mandarin fish uses fresh Mandarin fish, seasoned with ingredients such as ham, bamboo shoot slices, shiitake mushrooms, and Shaoxing wine.