Ingredients:
One deep-sea yellow croaker
A few scallions, ginger, and garlic
Some pork belly
Some Shaoxing wine
Some light soy sauce
Some chopped scallions
“Clean the hairtail fish thoroughly and score it deeply to allow flavors to penetrate. The skin on the head must be removed (as it is the source of the fishy smell).”
Prepare the ingredients: pork belly, scallions (spring onions), ginger, garlic, and dried chilies.
Heat the wok until it starts to smoke slightly. Add lard (or pork fat) to the wok, using a relatively generous amount of oil. Sauté the ginger slices until fragrant, then add the pork belly and stir-fry until it becomes slightly charred/crispy.
After the pork belly has released its fragrance, add the hairtail fish to pan-fry until golden and aromatic. (It’s best to pat the surface dry with kitchen paper towels before placing the fish in the pan.) Once the fish is in the pan, wait a moment before moving it; shake the pan gently after it has seared properly. Flip the fish once one side is cooked and pan-fry until both sides are golden brown.
[As long as the oil temperature is high enough during this step, the fish will not stick to the pan.]
Add the scallions, garlic, and dried chilies. Pour in 50g of Huadiao wine (Shaoxing wine) to enhance the aroma (or use yellow wine as a substitute). Immediately cover with a lid for 10 seconds.
Uncover the wok and pour in freshly boiled hot water, adding enough so that the water level comes halfway up the fish (not fully submerging it). If you like sticky rice cakes (nian gao), you can add some now (if adding nian gao, add a bit more water accordingly). Add a small amount of light soy sauce using a soup ladle—that’s about 2-3 spoons worth. Do not add any other seasonings. Simmer continuously over high heat for 8 minutes, until the broth turns a milky yellow color.
Add 1g of white pepper powder.
Sprinkle the prepared scallions on top.
