Kaili suāntāng yú - Guizhou fish in sour red broth

Ingredients

• 900 g whole carp or freshwater bass, gutted and scaled
• 240 g Guizhou fermented red sour soup base
• 650 ml unsalted light chicken broth
• 150 g ripe fresh tomatoes
• 30 g fresh ginger
• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 3 pieces fresh scallions
• 0.5 bunches fresh cilantro
• 25 g Guizhou fermented red chili
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing Chinese rice wine
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp Guizhou litsea cubeba oil
• 1 tsp fine salt

Method

1. Briefly rinse the fish in cold water, then pat completely dry. Remove the gills and any traces of blood along the spine, which would impart bitterness to the broth.
2. Remove the head and tail, then cut the body crosswise into thick sections, keeping the bone and skin. Place the pieces in a dish, add the rice wine and some of the salt, mix gently, and let rest while preparing the aromatics.
3. Peel the ginger and slice into thin matchsticks. Lightly crush the garlic cloves. Separate the white and green parts of the scallions. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and roughly pick the cilantro leaves.
4. Heat the canola oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed clay pot. Gently sauté the ginger, garlic, and the white parts of the scallions without browning.
5. Add the fermented red base and fermented chili. Sauté, stirring constantly, until their color deepens and the oil turns orange-red. This step develops the fermented aroma and removes any harshness.
6. Add the tomatoes and let them soften slightly. Then pour in the broth, bring to a simmer, and let the flavors meld until the acidity tastes round rather than sharp.
7. Add the head, tail, and thickest sections to the broth first. Maintain a steady simmer, never a rolling boil, so the meat stays intact and the broth doesn't turn cloudy.
8. Add the remaining fish pieces and continue cooking without stirring with a spoon. Instead, gently shake the pot by the handles to distribute the heat without breaking the meat.
9. When the meat just begins to easily pull away from the bone, taste the broth and adjust only with the remaining salt if necessary. Do not add vinegar: the traditional acidity must come from fermentation.
10. Remove the pot from the heat; add the litsea cubeba oil, the green parts of the scallions, and the cilantro. Cover briefly to trap the aromas, then serve the fish immediately in its piping hot broth.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

144.5 kcal

Protein

3.5 g

Carbohydrate

12.88 g

Fat

7.24 g

Fibre

4.09 g

Calcium

2.85 mg

Iron

0.15 mg

Magnesium

4.67 mg