Qilin-Style Mandarin Fish

Name: Qilin-Style Mandarin Fish
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: 1 (about 1250 g net) Mandarin fish (separate flesh, reserve head and tail); 75 g Soaked dried shiitake mushrooms (half sliced, half julienned); 75 g Ham (half sliced, half julienned); 2 Eggs (use yolks only); 40 g Shredded pork; a pinch Sesame oil; a pinch Shredded ginger; a pinch MSG; 50 g Bamboo shoots (sliced); a pinch Pepper; a pinch Shredded scallion; a pinch Shaoxing wine; a pinch Radish (carved into qilin horn); a pinch Water chestnut starch; a pinch Sugar; a pinch Fine salt; a pinch Soy sauce; to taste Cooking oil; to taste Chicken stock

Delicious, five-colored, shaped like a qilin, with tender, fresh fish.

1h 20m

Easy

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Ingredients

Mandarin fish (separate flesh, reserve head and tail) 1 (about 1250 g net)

Soaked dried shiitake mushrooms (half sliced, half julienned) 75 g

Ham (half sliced, half julienned) 75 g

Eggs (use yolks only) 2

Shredded pork 40 g

Sesame oil a pinch

Shredded ginger a pinch

MSG a pinch

Bamboo shoots (sliced) 50 g

Pepper a pinch

Shredded scallion a pinch

Shaoxing wine a pinch

Radish (carved into qilin horn) a pinch

Water chestnut starch a pinch

Sugar a pinch

Fine salt a pinch

Soy sauce a pinch

Cooking oil to taste

Chicken stock to taste

Instructions

Preparing the Fish

Separate the flesh from the mandarin fish, keeping the head and tail intact. Cut the fish flesh into 20 date-sized pieces (set aside the scraps) and toss with MSG, salt, sugar, and pepper.

Steaming the Fish Body

Slice the shiitake mushrooms, ham, and bamboo shoots (set aside half of the mushrooms and ham, julienned). In a dish, arrange 1 piece of fish, 1 slice of ham, 1 slice of mushroom, and 1 slice of bamboo shoot in sequence to resemble a fish body, then steam in a steamer for 15 minutes.

Preparing Head, Tail, and Qilin Whiskers

Beat the eggs, discard the whites, and mix the yolks with water chestnut starch into a paste. Coat the fish head and tail with this paste, then briefly blanch in hot oil. Stir-fry the shredded pork, julienned mushrooms, scallion, and ginger with soy sauce, sugar, and MSG, and arrange on the fish head to mimic the qilin's whiskers.

Assembling and Saucing

Place the steamed fish body between the head and tail. Make a sauce with chicken stock, sugar, MSG, salt, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and water chestnut starch, then pour it over the fish body (do not pour over the head and tail).