Fried Mushrooms with Fish Paste
Winter mushrooms are coated in a fish-paste batter and deep-fried until golden, then sprinkled with Sichuan pepper salt for a crisp, fragrant, golden-brown dish.
Ingredients
freshwater fish meat (finely minced)
150 g
dried winter mushrooms (soaked, stems removed, simmered for flavor, tossed with dry starch)
75 g
pork fat (finely minced)
50 g
cooked ham
15 g
eggs
3
finely chopped scallions
to taste
minced ginger
to taste
fine salt
to taste
cooking wine
to taste
MSG
to taste
dry starch
to taste
wet starch (cornstarch slurry)
to taste
rendered pork lard
to taste
Sichuan pepper salt
to taste
sweet bean sauce
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Choose thick, meaty small winter mushrooms. Soak in cold water until softened, remove the stems, and rinse clean. Place in a pot with fine salt and water, simmer briefly until flavored, then remove, drain well, and toss with a little dry starch.
2
Step 2
Finely mince the fish meat and pork fat with a knife. Place in a bowl and add water, the mushroom cooking liquid, fine salt, chopped scallions, minced ginger, wet starch, MSG, cooking wine, and eggs. Stir in one direction until a sticky, cohesive paste forms.
3
Step 3
Place a wok over medium heat and add rendered pork lard. Heat to about 150 degrees C (300 degrees F), or until moderately hot. Coat each mushroom evenly with the fish paste, lower them into the oil one by one, and fry until light golden brown. Remove, drain, and arrange on a plate. Sprinkle with Sichuan pepper salt and serve hot, with sweet bean sauce on the side if desired.
