Stewed Silver Carp Head
A famous traditional Jiangsu dish, Chai Hui Fish Head (拆烩鱼头) is made by deboning a silver carp head and braising it in a rich broth. The fish meat is tender, and the broth is thick and savory.
Ingredients
Silver carp head (split in half, remove the two gills, remove head bones while keeping the original shape intact, rinse in warm water to remove fishy smell)
1 (about 2.5 kg)
Cooked lard (for frying scallion and ginger)
50 g
Salt (seasoning)
10 g
MSG (seasoning)
10 g
Scallion (part for initial prep, part for stewing)
50 g
Ginger (part for initial prep, part for stewing)
25 g
Cooking wine (to remove fishy smell and add aroma)
100 g
Wet starch (for thickening)
5 g
Thick broth (for stewing)
500 g
White pepper powder (sprinkle before serving)
to taste
Instructions
1
Preparing the fish head
Split the silver carp head into two halves, remove the two gills and wash clean, then place in a wok. Add water, cooking wine, 12 g ginger and 25 g scallion, first bring to a boil over high heat, then switch to low heat and simmer until the fish bones can be removed. Take out the fish head and carefully remove the head bones (keep the original shape intact), then rinse several times in warm water to remove the fishy smell.
2
Stewing
Heat the wok and add the cooked lard along with scallion (25 g) and ginger (13 g); once fragrant, remove the aromatics. Add the thick broth, fish head meat, cooking wine and salt, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
3
Thickening and finishing
Thicken with the wet starch, then switch to high heat to reduce and concentrate the sauce. Sprinkle in the white pepper powder and serve.
