Wind-Dried Spring Fish
Cured and air-dried spring fish are sealed in a jar with fermented wine for several months, then steamed until tender, deboned, and served with a fresh, fragrant, and pleasantly chewy texture.
Ingredients
spring fish
1250 g
Shaoxing wine
150 g
distilled wine
100 g
refined salt
100 g
ginger slices
40 g
scallion knots
30 g
Sichuan peppercorns
1 g
rendered chicken fat
50 g
Instructions
1
Marinating and Sealing
Remove the head, gut, and scales from the spring fish, cut off the tail and fins, wash, and drain well. Rub each fish thoroughly with refined salt. Arrange them in a clay pot, top with 10 g of ginger slices, 10 g of scallion knots, and 0.5 g of Sichuan peppercorns, press down firmly, and marinate for 24 hours. Remove the fish, tie each tail with a piece of string, and hang them upside down outdoors to dry. Once fully dried, rub each fish with distilled wine, pack them tightly into a jar, seal the mouth with plastic wrap, then coat the seal with yellow mud. Leave sealed for 2 to 3 months before opening.
2
Steaming
Take a porcelain plate and arrange 30 g of ginger slices, 20 g of scallion knots, and 0.5 g of Sichuan peppercorns on it. Lay the dried fish on top of the aromatics, drizzle with Shaoxing wine and rendered chicken fat, and steam in a steamer for about 1 hour. Remove and let cool, then debone the fish and tear it into strips or chunks. Pour the original cooking juices over the top and serve.
