Old-Style Braised Fish

〔Main and auxiliary ingredients〕

Clean black carp flesh..500 g Shaoxing wine.....50 g Soy sauce.....75 g White sugar.....40 g Chopped scallion.....8 g Chopped ginger.....3 g Water starch....10 g Sesame oil....5 g Lard....75 g

〔Cooking method〕

1. Cut the black carp flesh into fish pieces, about 10 cm long, about 2.5 cm wide, and about 1.5 cm thick. 2. Heat a wok over high heat, ladle in the lard, add the chopped scallion and chopped ginger, put the fish pieces into the wok, sear them lightly on both sides, then add the Shaoxing wine and cover briefly, then add the soy sauce, white sugar and 250 g clear water. After it comes to a boil, turn to low heat and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the flavor is absorbed. Add the water starch to thicken, turn the fish pieces over completely, drizzle in the sesame oil, and plate to serve.

〔Key techniques〕

When braising the fish, shake the wok frequently to avoid sticking to the bottom. The finished dish should be rich in oil and dark in sauce, savory and sweet, which is the authentic flavor of Wuxi cuisine.

〔Flavor characteristics〕

Old-Style Braised Fish is a traditional famous dish of Wuxi, rich in oil and dark in sauce, with saltiness coming first and sweetness finishing, best reflecting the characteristics of Wuxi local cuisine. Although it is called old-style braised, the fish meat is still very tender. Because one fish can be divided into different cuts, it can be made into several famous dishes, such as old-style braised tail, old-style braised fish head, old-style braised head and tail, old-style braised middle section, old-style braised belly, old-style braised lower jaw, and so on. The popularity of old-style braised dishes can thus be imagined.