Chopped Fish Balls

Name: Chopped Fish Balls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: Live grass carp (1 fish, taking about 425 g net fish meat), about 1250 g; 20 g Cooked ham (15 g sliced thin, 5 g minced); 1 Water-soaked dried winter mushroom; 11 g Refined salt (9 g used for stirring fish paste, 2 g for seasoning); 2.5 g MSG (1.5 g used for mixing fish paste, 1 g for seasoning); 15 g Shaoxing wine; 15 g Ginger juice water; 5 g Scallion segments; 10 g Cooked chicken oil; 20 g Cooked lard; 500 g Clear water (used for stirring fish paste)

A traditional specialty of Zhejiang, these fish balls are handcrafted from live grass carp. The fish meat is tender and fluffy, with an aromatic flavor and a silky, smooth finish.

55 min

Medium

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Ingredients

Live grass carp (1 fish, taking about 425 g net fish meat) about 1250 g

Cooked ham (15 g sliced thin, 5 g minced) 20 g

Water-soaked dried winter mushroom 1

Refined salt (9 g used for stirring fish paste, 2 g for seasoning) 11 g

MSG (1.5 g used for mixing fish paste, 1 g for seasoning) 2.5 g

Shaoxing wine 15 g

Ginger juice water 15 g

Scallion segments 5 g

Cooked chicken oil 10 g

Cooked lard 20 g

Clear water (used for stirring fish paste) 500 g

Instructions

Prepare the Fish Meat

Cut the fish open and clean. Starting from the tail, slice along the back into two halves. Remove the belly meat, take off the skin, and peel away the red tendons. Set aside about 425 g of net fish meat, cut into thin slices and rinse. Place on a cutting board and use a double knife to chop into mung bean-sized granules.

Make the Fish Paste

Transfer the fish granules into a bowl, add 500 g of clear water and 9 g of refined salt. Stir continuously in one direction until the fish meat becomes sticky and fine bubbles appear, then set aside in a cool place to swell.

Prepare the Garnishes

Slice 15 g of the cooked ham into thin pieces, and finely mince the remaining 5 g.

Season and Mix

Add the Shaoxing wine, cooked lard, ginger juice water, minced ham, and 1.5 g MSG to the swollen fish paste and mix evenly.

Shape the Fish Balls

Take a wok and fill it roughly halfway with cold water. With your left hand, grab a handful of fish paste and gently squeeze it through the opening between thumb and forefinger. Use your right hand to flick each ball off into the pot, forming round fish balls about 4 cm in diameter.

Poach Gently

Move the wok to medium heat and bring it up gradually. As soon as the water reaches a light boil, add a splash of cold water and skim off any foam at any time. Gently stir with the back of a ladle. When the fish balls turn jade white, move the wok to low heat and let them simmer for 5 minutes, then return to high heat. Once the broth bubbles up in the middle, remove from heat.

Plate and Serve

Take a lotus-leaf-shaped bowl and season it with 2 g of refined salt and 1 g of MSG. Pour the fish balls and their broth into the bowl. Top with the sliced ham and the mushroom, add the scallion segments, drizzle with the cooked chicken oil, and serve.