Phoenix Shark Fin

Name: Phoenix Shark Fin
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Ingredients: 200 g Ice-reconstituted shark fin; 200 g Cleaned spring chicken (split from the back, breast kept connected, bones flattened); 30 g Cleaned winter bamboo shoots (cut into spear-tip shapes); 10 g Scallion segments; 10 g Ginger slices; 7.5 g Fine salt; 15 g Soy sauce; 25 g Shaoxing wine; 25 g Wet starch (for thickening); 5 g MSG; 250 g Clear broth; 50 g Scallion-ginger oil (for drizzling); 15 g Sugar; 1 g Star anise; 1 g Sichuan peppercorns; 1000 g (actually uses 75 g) Peanut oil (for deep-frying the chicken)

A classic of Shandong (Lu) cuisine, this dish pairs tender steamed young chicken with braised shark fin on a single plate. Beautifully presented with a rich reddish glaze, it offers a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and an aromatic, savory flavor.

1h 50m

Easy

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Ingredients

Ice-reconstituted shark fin 200 g

Cleaned spring chicken (split from the back, breast kept connected, bones flattened) 200 g

Cleaned winter bamboo shoots (cut into spear-tip shapes) 30 g

Scallion segments 10 g

Ginger slices 10 g

Fine salt 7.5 g

Soy sauce 15 g

Shaoxing wine 25 g

Wet starch (for thickening) 25 g

MSG 5 g

Clear broth 250 g

Scallion-ginger oil (for drizzling) 50 g

Sugar 15 g

Star anise 1 g

Sichuan peppercorns 1 g

Peanut oil (for deep-frying the chicken) 1000 g (actually uses 75 g)

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken

Rinse the spring chicken thoroughly, split it from the back while keeping the breast connected, flatten the bones, rub soy sauce over the surface, and deep-fry in hot oil over high heat until the skin turns golden yellow. Remove and place skin-side down in a large bowl, add scallion segments, ginger slices, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, Shaoxing wine, clear broth, sugar, and soy sauce, then steam in a steamer until tender.

Plate the Chicken

Pour off the original broth, discard the scallions, ginger, and star anise, then invert the chicken into a fish-shaped platter, arranging the wings and legs outstretched, raising the head upright, and tucking a cilantro leaf into the beak as decoration.

Prepare the Shark Fin

Cut the winter bamboo shoots into spear-tip shapes. Briefly blanch the shark fin in boiling water, drain well, and arrange it on a flat plate in a woven thatched-cloak (suoyi) pattern.

Braise the Shark Fin

Add the reserved steaming broth from the chicken, additional clear broth, soy sauce, fine salt, and Shaoxing wine to a soup pot. Carefully slide the arranged shark fin into the pot, add the bamboo shoots, and braise over low heat until fully infused. Thicken the sauce with wet starch to a flowing consistency, drizzle with scallion-ginger oil, then lift the shark fin out and arrange it neatly over the chicken.

Finish with Sauce

Bring clear broth with fine salt to a boil in a soup pot, thicken with wet starch, add MSG, drizzle with scallion-ginger oil, and pour the sauce over the shark fin and chicken to finish the dish.