Deboned Jellied Crucian Carp
A traditional Jiangsu cold appetizer made by braising crucian carp, then deboning it and chilling the broth and flesh into a delicate jelly. Elegant in presentation, with tender fish meat and a clean, refreshing flavor.
Ingredients
River crucian carp (main ingredient)
2 (about 600g)
Shaoxing wine (a pinch for marinating, 10g used for marinating)
15g
Scallion knot
1g
Ginger slices
1g
Soy sauce (10g used for marinating)
60g
White sugar
25g
MSG
2g
Fine salt
5g
Vegetable oil (for pan-frying fish)
75g
Instructions
1
Marinating
Scale, gill, and gut the crucian carp; wash and drain. Marinate with a pinch of Shaoxing wine and 10g of soy sauce for 20 minutes, then remove.
2
Braising
Heat a wok over high heat, slick it with oil, then add the vegetable oil and heat. Place the crucian carp in and pan-fry until both sides turn golden. Add scallion and ginger to release their fragrance, splash with the remaining Shaoxing wine, then add the salt, soy sauce, white sugar, MSG, and about 200g of water. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil over high heat first, then move to low heat and simmer for 6–7 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
3
Deboning and Plating
Use a spatula to lift the carp out; pour the cooking liquid into a bowl and set aside. Cut off the fish head and set it aside, then cut off the tail (about 5cm long) and set it aside. Insert the tip of the knife into the belly and split the fish open; fold back the upper fillet, first remove the large backbone, then pull out the rib bones, and pick out the small backbones. Bring the upper fillet back together to its original shape, reattach the head and tail. From the outside, it should still look like two whole fish.
4
Jelling
Slide the fish onto a deep fish platter, pour over the reserved cooking liquid, let cool, then place in the refrigerator to set into a jelly. Remove and serve.
