Pan-Cooked Yellow Croaker

Name: Pan-Cooked Yellow Croaker
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 750 g Yellow croaker; 20 g Soaked wood ear mushrooms; 15 g Ham; 20 g Soaked bamboo shoot slices; 20 g Youcai (the original text states '有菜', presumed to mean '青菜' / green vegetables); 5 g Refined salt; 15 g Shaoxing wine; 200 g Peanut oil; 30 g Starch; 10 g Scallion; 15 g Ginger; 5 g Garlic; 20 g Sugar; 20 g Vinegar; 100 g Clear broth; Eggs (original text did not specify quantity), to taste; Dry flour (original text did not specify quantity), to taste

A Shandong-style dish with a golden hue, rich savory aroma, and tender, mellow texture.

55 min

Easy

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Ingredients

Yellow croaker 750 g

Soaked wood ear mushrooms 20 g

Ham 15 g

Soaked bamboo shoot slices 20 g

Youcai (the original text states '有菜', presumed to mean '青菜' / green vegetables) 20 g

Refined salt 5 g

Shaoxing wine 15 g

Peanut oil 200 g

Starch 30 g

Scallion 10 g

Ginger 15 g

Garlic 5 g

Sugar 20 g

Vinegar 20 g

Clear broth 100 g

Eggs (original text did not specify quantity) to taste

Dry flour (original text did not specify quantity) to taste

Instructions

Prepare the yellow croaker

Remove the scales, gills, and innards from the yellow croaker, and wash thoroughly with clean water. Cut off the head from the lower jaw area of the fish and split it into two pieces. From the back of the fish, remove the main bone, splitting down to the belly, leaving the tail connected in a hinge (book-fold) shape. Then, with the skin side down, score the fish meat with a decorative crosshatch pattern, and season both the fish and head with refined salt and Shaoxing wine, allowing it to marinate.

Prepare the side ingredients

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat well. Cut the wood ear mushrooms, ham, bamboo shoot slices, and green vegetables all into 25 cm long thin strips.

Pan-fry the fish

Place peanut oil in a wok and heat over medium heat to about 40% hot (approximately 100°C). Coat the fish head and meat evenly with dry flour, dip them in the egg mixture, and fry in the wok until golden brown. Drain off excess oil using a skimmer.

Pan-braise

Place peanut oil in a wok and heat over medium heat to about 60% hot (approximately 150°C). Briefly sauté with shredded scallion and ginger, and sliced garlic. Add the wood ear mushroom strips, ham strips, bamboo shoot strips, and green vegetable strips, and stir-fry briefly. Add the clear broth, yellow croaker, Shaoxing wine, refined salt, sugar, and vinegar, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then simmer over low heat until the sauce is almost dry. Transfer the fish to a bowl and arrange it to look like a whole fish, then pour the remaining sauce over the fish. Serve.