Braised Fish Head with Ham in Creamy Broth
A traditional Zhejiang soup dish made by braising silver carp head with Jinhua ham in a rich broth. It features a milky-white, fragrant, and richly savory soup.
Ingredients
Fresh fish head (trimmed, rinsed, and drained)
1 (about 1000 g)
Jinhua ham (cut into thin slices)
100 g
Rich cream-style stock
100 g
Scallions (finely chopped)
to taste
Ginger (finely chopped)
to taste
Salt
to taste
MSG
to taste
Shaoxing wine
to taste
Cooking oil (for frying and sautéing)
to taste
Instructions
1
Preparing the Ingredients
Trim the fins from the fish head, rinse it well, and drain thoroughly. Cut the Jinhua ham into thin slices.
2
Frying the Fish Head
Heat a wok until hot, add oil and bring it up to frying temperature. Gently lower in the fish head and lightly fry for a brief moment, then lift the fish head out together with the oil through a strainer and drain off the excess oil.
3
Braising in the Broth
In the same wok, add a little more oil and stir-fry the chopped scallions and ginger until fragrant. Pour in the rich stock and season with salt, Shaoxing wine, and MSG. Add the fish head and the ham slices, bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, and cook for about 10 minutes. Transfer everything to a soup bowl and serve.
