Steamed Hilsa Herring
Scales-on shad is layered with ham, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoot slices, wrapped in pork caul fat, and steamed until tender, then finished with a seasoned broth poured over the top.
Ingredients
Hilsa herring (remove gills, eviscerate, split along the backbone into two halves, take the soft half, wash, keep scales)
750 g (one half)
Pork caul fat (washed and dried)
to taste
Cooked ham slices (sliced)
30 g
Soaked dried mushroom slices (sliced)
30 g
Spring bamboo shoot slices
60 g
Cilantro
5 g
Scallion segments
10 g
Ginger slices
to taste
Shaoxing wine
25 g
Sugar
1 g
Fine salt
to taste
Shrimp roe
to taste
Chicken broth
100 g
Rendered pork lard
to taste
White pepper powder
to taste
Minced ginger and rice vinegar (for dipping)
to taste
Instructions
1
Preparing ingredients
Remove the gills from the hilsa herring, cut open the belly from the chest tip to eviscerate, then split along the backbone into two halves, each with half of the head and tail. Take the soft half, wash clean, and pat dry with a clean cloth. Wash the pork caul fat and let it dry.
2
Steaming
Lift the fish by the tail and dip it briefly into boiling water to remove the fishy smell. Place it in a dish with the scales facing up. Arrange the ham slices, mushroom slices, and bamboo shoot slices alternately over the fish. Add the rendered pork lard, sugar, fine salt, shrimp roe, Shaoxing wine, and chicken broth. Cover with the pork caul fat and top with scallion segments and ginger slices. Steam over high heat for about 20 minutes until cooked through.
3
Finishing
Remove from the steamer, pick out the scallions and ginger, and peel off the pork caul fat. Pour the cooking liquid into a bowl, stir in the white pepper powder, then pour it back over the fish. Garnish with cilantro and serve. Bring a small dish of minced ginger and rice vinegar to the table for dipping.
