Shiwan Fish Tofu

Name: Shiwan Fish Tofu
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 500 g Dace fish meat (best to use fish paste, i.e., minced meat from dace fillet); 500 g Fresh eggs; 150 g Cornstarch; 20 g Fine salt; 400 g Water (for mixing the fish batter; plus another 200 g); 7.5 g Wet cornstarch slurry; 0.5 g White pepper; 250 g Tender choy sum; 10 g Shaoxing wine; 35 g Superior stock; 5 g Scallion knots; 0.5 g Sesame oil; 5 slices Ginger flower slices; 1000 g Cooking oil (for deep-frying)

A traditional Shiwan specialty made from dace fish meat and fresh eggs, deep-fried to a dry, fragrant, smooth, and tender texture. Suitable for stir-frying or adding to soups.

1h 5m

Easy

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Ingredients

Dace fish meat (best to use fish paste, i.e., minced meat from dace fillet) 500 g

Fresh eggs 500 g

Cornstarch 150 g

Fine salt 20 g

Water (for mixing the fish batter; plus another 200 g) 400 g

Wet cornstarch slurry 7.5 g

White pepper 0.5 g

Tender choy sum 250 g

Shaoxing wine 10 g

Superior stock 35 g

Scallion knots 5 g

Sesame oil 0.5 g

Ginger flower slices 5 slices

Cooking oil (for deep-frying) 1000 g

Instructions

Prepare the fish batter

First, mince the fish meat finely and place it in a bowl. Add the salt and beat until the mixture becomes sticky, then stir in the cornstarch, fresh eggs, and water until a smooth batter forms. Set aside for later use.

Deep-fry the fish balls

Heat the cooking oil in a wok until it is nearly at boiling point, then lift the wok off the heat. Use your hands or a spoon to squeeze the fish batter into round balls (about the size of a wonton) and drop them into the oil. Once the balls float to the surface, return the wok to the heat and continue frying until the fish balls puff up, enlarge, and turn a golden brown color.

Blanch the choy sum

Blanch the tender choy sum in the superior stock until just cooked through, then remove and arrange it neatly on a serving plate as a bed.

Thicken the sauce and finish the dish

Return the fried fish balls to the wok, add a splash of stock or water along with the seasonings, pour in the Shaoxing wine, and finish with the wet cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Finally, drizzle in the sesame oil, then spoon the glazed fish balls over the choy sum to serve.