Salted Fish and Eggplant Clay Pot Stew
Soaking the eggplant in water prevents it from turning black. Stir-frying the eggplant in a dry pan first reduces the amount of oil it absorbs during stewing, so the finished dish has no greasy aftertaste. Add salt in moderation, as the salted fish is already very salty, so only a small amount is needed.
Story
A beloved home-style staple of Chinese cuisine, this fragrant, savory clay pot stew brings together the deep, briny umami of salted fish and the soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture of stewed eggplant, making it a perfect, comforting pairing for a bowl of hot steamed rice.
Ingredients
eggplant
4 pieces
plum-scented salted fish
1 small piece
green chili pepper
2 pieces
red chili pepper
half a piece
ginger
to taste
garlic
to taste
salt
to taste
sugar
to taste
dark soy sauce
to taste
soy sauce
to taste
pepper powder
to taste
chicken essence
to taste
red bell pepper
Instructions
1
Step 1
Prepare all the required ingredients.
2
Step 2
Wash the eggplant, then cut into chunks using the rolling cut method.
3
Step 3
Soak in clean water for 5 minutes.
4
Step 4
Then remove from the water and drain off excess moisture.
5
Step 5
Wash the plum-scented salted fish and cut into small dice; cut the green and red bell peppers into triangles, slice the ginger and garlic.
6
Step 6
Add the drained eggplant to the wok and stir-fry (no oil is needed, this is a dry stir-fry).
7
Step 7
Stir-fry until the moisture is fully absorbed and the eggplant starts to soften, then remove and set aside.
8
Step 8
Heat a new batch of oil in a wok, add the sliced ginger and garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant.
9
Step 9
Add the salted fish with plum aroma and stir-fry until fragrant.
10
Step 10
Pour in the eggplant and stir-fry for a short while.
11
Step 11
Add an appropriate amount of water, salt and sugar. (The water level should be just level with the eggplant)
12
Step 12
Add dark soy sauce.
13
Step 13
Add soy sauce.
14
Step 14
Cover the pot, turn to low heat and braise until the eggplant is soft and well-cooked.
15
Step 15
Wait until the eggplant sauce reduces to a thick consistency, then add green and red bell peppers and cook until the green and red peppers soften. Finally add pepper powder and chicken bouillon, then remove from the pot to serve.
16
Step 16
Finished dish
