Photograph of the finished Chou gui yu (Anhui fermented mandarin fish)

China · Cá quế ướp Huy Châu

Chou gui yu (Anhui fermented mandarin fish)

40 min Hands-on time + 144 hr waiting
HardDifficulty
5 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Whole fish Whole fish 2.2 lb
  • Photograph of Coarse salt Coarse salt 2.1 oz
  • Photograph of Pork belly Pork belly 4.2 oz
  • Photograph of Fresh bamboo shoots Fresh bamboo shoots 5.6 oz
  • Photograph of Ginger Ginger 0.7 oz
  • Photograph of Garlic Garlic 1.1 oz
  • Photograph of Spring onion Spring onion 1.4 oz
  • Photograph of Dried chillies Dried chillies 8
  • Photograph of Soy sauce Soy sauce 2 ⅔ tbsp
  • Photograph of Shaoxing Wine Shaoxing Wine 2 ⅔ tbsp
  • Photograph of Sugar Sugar 0.4 oz
  • Photograph of Tapioca starch Tapioca starch 0.4 oz
  • Photograph of Oil Oil ¼ cup
  • Photograph of Steamed rice Steamed rice 1.8 lb

Method

  1. 1 Rub coarse salt evenly over the fish, arrange them in a wooden barrel, place stones on top, and let them ferment gently in a cool place for 6 days to develop a distinctive aroma.
  2. 2 Rinse the fish to remove the salt, pat dry, then fry both sides until golden brown in hot oil for 6 minutes.
  3. 3 Sauté ginger, garlic, and dried chili peppers, then add diced pork belly and stir-fry for 3 minutes until the fat renders out and the aroma is released.
  4. 4 Add sliced bamboo shoots, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and a little water, then place the fish in the pot and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
  5. 5 Pour the cornstarch mixture over the fish to thicken the sauce, sprinkle with chopped scallions, and gently transfer the fish to a plate.
Start cooking