West Lake Water Shield Fish Soup
A delicate soup made primarily with sea bass fillets and West Lake water shield (chúncài), accompanied by shredded ham and shredded chicken.
Ingredients
Sea bass fillet (skin and blood tendons removed, cut into 6 cm long strips)
West Lake water shield (blanched in boiling water and drained)
Rendered pork lard (about 50 g consumed)
250 g
Clear broth
200 g
Water
250 g
Salt
3 g
Shaoxing cooking wine
15 g
MSG
2 g
Wet cornstarch
25 g
Egg white
1
Cooked ham strips
Cooked chicken strips
Shredded scallion
5 g
Scallion segments
5 g
Ginger juice
5 g
White pepper
1 g
Dried tangerine peel strips
5 g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Remove the skin and blood tendons from the sea bass fillet and cut it into 6 cm long strips. Add salt (1.5 g), egg white, Shaoxing cooking wine (5 g), and MSG (0.5 g), then knead until the mixture becomes sticky and smooth. Coat evenly with wet cornstarch (10 g) for velveting. Blanch the West Lake water shield in boiling water, drain, and set aside.
2
Step 2
Place a wok over high heat, add the rendered pork lard, and heat to about 40% hot. Carefully slide in the coated fish strips and gently separate them with chopsticks. When they turn jade white, pour them into a strainer and drain off the oil.
3
Step 3
Leave about 25 g of oil in the wok, return it to the heat, and add the scallion segments to release their aroma. Add Shaoxing cooking wine (10 g), salt (1.5 g), clear broth, and water (250 g). Once boiling, remove the scallion segments, add MSG (2 g) and ginger juice, then thicken lightly with wet cornstarch (15 g).
4
Step 4
Add the fish strips and water shield to the wok along with the cooked ham strips, cooked chicken strips, and shredded scallion. Stir gently to combine with a ladle, transfer to a large serving bowl, sprinkle the dried tangerine peel strips and white pepper on top, and serve immediately.
