Photograph of the finished Wenzhou fish balls

China · Cá viên sợi nấu nước trong Ôn Châu

Wenzhou fish balls

50 min Hands-on time + 30 min waiting
HardDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Sea bass Sea bass 3.1 lb
  • Photograph of Tapioca starch Tapioca starch 8.5 oz
  • Photograph of Chicken broth Chicken broth 8 ½ cups
  • Photograph of Zhenjiang Black Vinegar Zhenjiang Black Vinegar ½ cup
  • Photograph of Black pepper Black pepper 0.8 oz
  • Photograph of Spring onion Spring onion 4.2 oz
  • Photograph of Ginger Ginger 3.5 oz
  • Photograph of Shaoxing Wine Shaoxing Wine ⅓ cup
  • Photograph of Salt Salt 0.8 oz

Method

  1. 1 Fillet the fish and cut it into 5 cm long strips; do not grind it into a paste.
  2. 2 The key to the Wenzhou version is its crispness and lack of grinding; the round shape is a different matter.
  3. 3 Marinate the fish fillets with salt, wine, and ginger juice for 20 minutes, then squeeze them to firm up the flesh.
  4. 4 Coat each fish fillet with dry tapioca starch, then gently knead it so the starch adheres to form a flat, thread-like shape.
  5. 5 Boil the fish strips in gently simmering water for 3 minutes; they are cooked through when they float to the surface.
  6. 6 Pour hot chicken broth over the chicken, then season with black vinegar, plenty of white pepper, and chopped scallions.

With an appliance

  • Microwave 48 min

    Replace step 5: Arrange the fish strips in a single layer in a bowl of hot water, microwave at 500W for 90 seconds, then let it rest for 30 seconds; the gentle heat will make the tapioca starch translucent and reduce cooking time by half, resulting in flatter strips that are less prone to breakage when boiled. Steps 1–4 (cutting, marinating, and coating) must remain the same to maintain the authentic Wenzhou texture.

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