Zu'an Shark Fin (Red-Braised Shark Fin)
Cao Jingchen's signature dish from his time as family chef to Tan Yankai: shark fin is deodorized over three days, then red-braised with pork belly, fat chicken, and pork knuckle for four hours until the rich sauce fully permeates the fin.
Ingredients
dried shark fin (boiled, sand and cartilage removed, water changed and reboiled daily for three days to remove fishy odor)
500 g
pork belly (for lining the pot)
500 g
fat hen (whole)
1000-1500 g
pork shank (pressed on top of the shark fin)
1000-1500 g
Shaoxing wine
250 g
scallion
a pinch
ginger
a pinch
salt
a pinch
chicken fat (for enriching the sauce)
50 g
Instructions
1
Preparing the shark fin
Boil the dried shark fin for three hours, then let it cool and scrape off the sand and remove the cartilage. Replace with cold broth, bring to a boil, then change the water twice a day and reboil twice a day. Repeat for three days until all fishy odor is gone.
2
Layering the ingredients
Take a large clay pot, line the bottom with the pork belly, place the prepared shark fin on top of the pork belly, then set the whole fat hen and the pork shank over the shark fin to press it down.
3
Seasoning and braising
Pour in the Shaoxing wine, add water until the pork shank is submerged, and add a pinch of scallion, ginger, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and braise for four hours until the shark fin is completely tender and the rich broth has soaked through it.
4
Finishing the dish
Remove the fat hen, pork shank, and pork belly for other uses. Plate the shark fin, take the rich broth from the pot, add the chicken fat, and briefly thicken it in a wok over heat, then pour the thickened sauce over the shark fin.
