Spicy Fish Chunks
A traditional Zhejiang specialty of grass carp cubes, pan-fried and braised with bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Vibrant in color, mildly spicy, and tender.
Ingredients
Grass carp (cut into 4 tile-shaped pieces, marinated in soy sauce)
1 (750 g)
Rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (cut into nail-sized slices)
25 g
Cooked bamboo shoot flesh (cut into nail-sized slices)
25 g
Salt-pickled red chili (cut into nail-sized slices)
2 g
Green onion (cut into nail-sized slices)
10 g
Ginger (cut into nail-sized slices)
15 g
Soy sauce (for marinating fish and braising)
50 g
White sugar
10 g
MSG
2.5 g
Wet starch (for thickening)
25 g
Rendered lard (for pan-frying the fish)
75 g
Cooking wine
15 g
Mala oil (drizzled before serving)
15 g
Water (for braising)
250 g
Instructions
1
Prepare the fish chunks
Cut the grass carp into 4 tile-shaped pieces, marinate in soy sauce.
2
Prepare the ingredients
Cut the cooked bamboo shoots, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, salt-pickled red chili, ginger, and green onion into nail-sized slices, set aside.
3
Pan-fry the fish
Heat a wok over medium heat, coat the pan with oil then add rendered lard. When the oil reaches about 70% heat (approx. 154°C), add the fish pieces and pan-fry until golden.
4
Braise
Add bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, red chili, ginger, and green onion. Pour in cooking wine, white sugar, 35g of soy sauce, and 250g of water. Braise for about 5 minutes.
5
Thicken the sauce
Add MSG, stir in wet starch to thicken the sauce, then drizzle with mala oil.
6
Serve
Flip the fish chunks in the wok, then plate and serve.
