Ribbonfish Braised with Onion and Ginger

Method

1. 1 Gently scrape off the silvery outer layer of the mackerel, then cut it into 5 cm pieces and toss with salt and ginger.
2. 2 Pan-fry both sides of the fish fillets for 3 minutes until the skin is seared before braising.
3. 3 Mackerel has soft, thin flesh, so it needs to be pan-fried first; braising it raw will cause the pieces to fall apart completely.
4. 4 Line the bottom of the pot with the stems of green onions and slices of ginger, then arrange the fish on top of this layer.
5. 5 Caramelize the sugar, then pour in the fish sauce along with 150 ml of water and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
6. 6 Simmer for 6 minutes until reduced, then sprinkle with pepper, chili, and the green onion leaves.

With an appliance

• Oven 50 min

  Replace step 5: cover and braise the mackerel on the ginger and onion layer in the middle rack of the oven at 160 degrees for 20 minutes; step 6: keep the lid open and simmer for 6 minutes on the stovetop, without stirring the fish.