Braised Fish Head
- WARNING If you have never chopped meat with a cleaver, this menu is not recommended!!! - During operation, a sharp cleaver may cut your fingers, please be very careful.
Ingredients and Tools
- Note: If possible, prepare another cleaver. Cheap, thicker cleavers are available at supermarkets or markets; a blade thickness of 5-7mm is best.
- Scallion, ginger, garlic, cilantro, beauty chili
- Oil, salt, chicken bouillon, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, aged vinegar, black pepper powder, cooking wine
- Star anise, dried chili
- 1 fish head
- Note: Fish heads sold in the market are generally of two types: silver carp and bighead carp. The former is cheaper; the latter is slightly more expensive but tastes better!
Measurements
- 1 fish head
- Scallion 200g
- Ginger 80g
- Garlic cloves 3-4
- Beauty chili 1/4
- Cilantro 4 sprigs
- 2 star anise, 5 dried chilies
Steps
- Wash the scallion, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and beauty chili separately.
- Rinse the dried chilies and star anise briefly.
- Cut the scallion in half. Cut the back half (white part) into segments about 4cm long. For the front half (green part), cut into segments, then split each segment into four.
- Slice the ginger, each slice about 3mm thick.
- Smash the garlic.
- Take 2 sprigs of cilantro, remove the roots, and chop into 1.5cm cilantro pieces.
- Slice the beauty chili into 3mm thick chili rings.
- Cut the dried chili into 4 sections. Marinate the fish head
- Note: The fish body mentioned below refers to the fish meat attached when purchasing the fish head.
- Remove the scales from the fish head and clean any remaining innards at the head.
- Chop off the fins and clean the gills.
- Chop open where the fish head connects to the body; chop the body into chunks, and chop the head into 4/6 pieces.
- Note: Fish processing is hard to fully describe in words; you can search for fish head processing videos.
- Wash the chopped fish head; preferably rinse off any blood on the fish pieces.
- Place the cleaned fish pieces in a bowl, add 5g salt, 10g light soy sauce, 10g cooking wine. Add the scallion (chopped from the front half) and 1/3 of the ginger slices. Mix well and let sit for 1-2 hours. Final steps
- Add 30ml oil and wait for the wok to heat...
- When the oil is hot, turn the heat to low.
- If you do not understand why, see the stir-frying aromatics in the learning stir-fry and pan-fry section.
- Add the ginger slices and stir-fry slowly until most of the juice is released and the slices turn golden.
- Add the scallion segments and stir-fry until they look slightly white.
- Add the smashed garlic, star anise, and dried chili; stir-fry for 5 seconds.
- Add the marinated fish head and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in 500ml water, add 2g salt, 3g chicken bouillon, 5g light soy sauce, 3g dark soy sauce, 5g cooking wine, 2g black pepper powder, 3g aged vinegar.
- Add 2 sprigs of cilantro and cover the lid.
- Turn to high heat and bring to a boil.
- Turn to medium heat and simmer to let the flavors infuse.
- When the liquid reduces by half, open the lid.
- Turn to high heat to reduce; when the liquid is 1/3 remaining, turn off the heat and serve in a small bowl.
- Note: Pour the sauce evenly over the fish head; when plating, you can place the cooked cilantro at the bottom of the bowl, which makes the dish look good and taste good.
- Place cilantro on top of the plated fish head, then place the sliced beauty chili rings on top of the cilantro.
- The braised fish head with great color, aroma, and taste is ready!