1 Catfish and Tofu Hot Pot
[Ingredients]
- 1000 grams of catfish
- 10 grams of spring onion (cut into sections)
- 750 grams of frozen tofu (cut into blocks)
- 10 grams of ginger (sliced)
- 100 grams of spinach (cut into segments)
- 15 grams of Shaoxing wine
- 500 grams of vermicelli (cut into 20 cm segments)
- 30 grams of chili oil
- 100 grams of fried dough sticks (cut into 2.5 cm segments)
- 15 grams of sesame oil
- 150 grams of clear broth
- 50 grams of soy sauce
- 50 grams of vegetable oil
- 300 grams of garlic chive sauce
- 10 grams of salt
- 15 grams of minced garlic
- 3 grams of MSG (monosodium glutamate)
- 30 grams of fermented bean curd sauce
- 1.5 grams of ground pepper
[Cooking Method]
- Clean and cut the catfish into large 5 cm pieces. Blanch the frozen tofu in boiling water until cooked through. Soak the vermicelli in hot water until softened. Wash the spinach thoroughly, removing any yellow leaves and tough stems, and cut into 5 cm segments. Fry the fried dough sticks in hot oil until they puff up, then set aside.
- Heat a wok with a little vegetable oil, fry the spring onion sections and ginger until fragrant. Pour in the clear broth, season with salt and MSG, adjust the flavor with Shaoxing wine, ground pepper, and add the catfish. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until the catfish is fully cooked. Add 500 grams of frozen tofu, once the soup boils again, transfer everything into the hot pot.
- Ignite the alcohol burner under the hot pot and wait for it to boil. Serve immediately.
- Arrange the remaining frozen tofu, spinach, vermicelli, and fried dough sticks separately on dishes on the table. Serve with small bowls of dipping sauces.
- To eat, dip the ingredients into the sauces provided. When most of the tofu and catfish in the pot have been eaten, add the remaining frozen tofu, spinach, vermicelli, and fried dough sticks to the hot pot and continue cooking.
[Cooking Key Points]
Avoid overcooking the catfish to prevent it from becoming tough and purple in color.
[Flavor Characteristics]
Catfish and Tofu Hot Pot is a famous dish from Jilin Province, known for its rich and savory broth. It combines tender catfish and tofu, making it suitable both as a meal accompaniment and a dish to enjoy with drinks.
2 Stewed Catfish with Eggplant
[Ingredients]
- 600 grams of catfish
- 5 grams of Sichuan peppercorn water
- 500 grams of tender eggplant
- 15 grams of salt
- 10 grams of spring onion
- 1.5 grams of MSG (monosodium glutamate)
- 10 grams of ginger
- 500 grams of lard (rendered pork fat)
- 10 grams of garlic
- 1000 grams of chicken broth
- 15 grams of Shaoxing wine
- 25 grams of cilantro
[Cooking Method]
- Remove the gills and internal organs from the catfish, wash and chop into pieces. Tear the eggplant into long strips by hand. Slice the spring onion and ginger into thin strips. Slice the garlic.
- Heat a wok with a small amount of lard, stir-fry the eggplant briefly, then remove from the wok.
- Heat the wok again with a little vegetable oil, stir-fry the spring onion and ginger until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, then add the catfish and eggplant. Add Shaoxing wine, Sichuan peppercorn water, salt, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat and simmer until the eggplant is tender. Add the garlic slices and MSG, transfer to a soup bowl, garnish with cilantro.
[Cooking Key Points]
- Use high-quality chicken broth, add the catfish after it boils.
- Boil rapidly over high heat, then simmer over low heat to prevent the fish from breaking apart.
[Flavor Characteristics]
Stewed Catfish with Eggplant is a traditional dish from Jilin Province. It is typically prepared during the summer when eggplants are abundant and catfish are freshly caught. The dish combines fatty yet tender catfish with fragrant and flavorful eggplant in a creamy and clear broth. Its harmonious blend of meat and vegetables makes it suitable for both casual meals and festive occasions, earning it a reputation as a beloved regional delicacy.
3 Grilled Dried Myeongtae Fish
[Ingredients]
- 500 grams of dried Myeongtae fish
- 5 grams of salt
- 1 gram of MSG (monosodium glutamate)
- 15 grams of Shaoxing wine
- 5 grams of red pepper flakes
[Cooking Method]
- Soak the dried Myeongtae fish in warm water until softened. Split open along the belly into slices, then wash thoroughly and drain. Add salt, MSG, Shaoxing wine, and red pepper flakes, marinate for 30 minutes.
- Ignite and burn charcoal until red-hot. Place the marinated fish slices on a grilling rack over the charcoal and grill until cooked through.
[Cooking Key Points]
- Before grilling, ensure the fish is softened by soaking in water. Otherwise, the fish flesh may remain tough and affect the quality.
- Marinate the fish for an adequate amount of time to enhance its flavor.
- Control the grilling heat properly to ensure the fish is thoroughly cooked without burning.
[Flavor Characteristics]
Grilled Dried Myeongtae Fish is a dish from the Korean ethnic group in Jilin Province. It uses dried Myeongtae fish imported from Korea and is grilled over charcoal, imparting a delightful smoky flavor. Known for its savory yet not greasy taste with a hint of spiciness, it is enjoyed as a popular snack.
4 Eight Treasure Ji Hua Fish
[Main Ingredients and Seasonings]
4 Ji Hua fish from Songhua Lake (about 1000g)
50g soybean oil
5g MSG
20g soaked sea cucumber
15g soy sauce
25g soaked shiitake mushrooms
5g ground pepper
25g bamboo shoots
20g diced scallions
20g diced ham
20g minced ginger
35g chicken breast
10g minced garlic
15g cilantro leaves
30g starch
15g salt
30g cooking oil
30g Shaoxing wine
[Cooking Method]
- Clean the fresh Ji Hua fish, remove the internal organs and gills, blanch in hot water briefly, scrape off the black skin, make two cuts along the backbone, remove the backbone, then marinate with salt, Shaoxing wine, MSG, and a mixture of minced scallions and ginger juice until well-flavored. Dice the ham, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, sea cucumber, and chicken breast.
- Heat a spoonful of oil in a wok over high heat, stir-fry the sea cucumber, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, chicken breast, and ham. Add diced scallions, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, MSG, and minced garlic, then transfer to a bowl. Stuff the cavity of the Ji Hua fish with this mixture, seal the opening with a little chicken mince, and drizzle with cooking oil.
- Steam the stuffed Ji Hua fish in a steamer for 20 minutes, remove and drain excess liquid, garnish with diced ham and cilantro to enhance presentation.
- In the wok, add chicken broth, season with salt and MSG, thicken with wet starch until the sauce is clear and flavorful, then pour over the fish.
[Key Techniques]
- When blanching the fish, maintain a water temperature between 80°C to 90°C to avoid breaking the fish skin, which affects the final presentation.
- Skim any foam from the sauce when thickening with starch, ensuring it is clear and flavorful.
- Stir-fry the stuffing ingredients until cooked and seasoned before stuffing into the fish cavity.
- Avoid over-steaming the fish, as 20 minutes is optimal.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- “Songhua Lake Fish Banquet” is a renowned specialty banquet in Jilin Province, consisting of a carved dish, eight cold appetizers, ten hot dishes, and two desserts.
Located in the middle of the Songhua River, Songhua Lake’s source is the Tianchi of Changbai Mountain, cut off by the Fengman Dam to form the largest artificial lake in China. With a length of over 300 kilometers, the lake has clear water rich in natural nutrients, producing various high-quality freshwater fish. Among them, the Ji Hua fish, with 7-11 large black spots along its lateral line, is less bony and thick-fleshed, making it one of the famous “Three Flowers” of Songhua Lake.
The “Songhua Lake Fish Banquet” uses Songhua Lake’s famous fish as the main ingredient, employing various cooking techniques to create a high-level banquet. Each dish features fish, showcasing unique ingredients, exquisite shapes, vibrant colors, distinctive flavors, and rich nutrition, epitomizing the charm of “one ingredient, multiple dishes”. - “Eight Treasure Ji Hua Fish” is a hot main dish in the “Songhua Lake Fish Banquet”. It uses Ji Hua fish, a special product of Songhua Lake, known for its tender meat, delicious flavor, rich stuffing, and beautiful presentation.
5 Jade Mandarin Fish with Swallow’s Nest
[Main Ingredients and Seasonings]
500g fish maw
15g soy sauce
150g sturgeon meat
5g MSG
30g starch
100g fresh broth
100g spinach
10g scallions
30g rendered chicken fat
10g ginger
15g salt
30g Shaoxing wine
[Cooking Method]
- Cut the sturgeon meat into thick slices and soak them in spinach juice to turn them green. Place dry starch on a chopping board, place the fish slices on the starch, gently pound them with a glass bottle until thin, blanch them in boiling water, and then cool them in cold water.
- Heat oil in a wok, stir-fry scallions and ginger, add chicken broth and various seasonings, then add the blanched jade fish slices. Bring to a boil, thicken with wet starch, drizzle with rendered chicken fat, and transfer to a serving dish in the center.
- Place the fish maw in a bowl, add broth and seasonings, and steam until fully cooked.
- Prepare half of the fish maw using the blanching method and the other half using the braising method. Arrange them separately on the other end of the serving dish.
[Key Techniques]
- When pounding the fish slices, be gentle to avoid breaking them apart.
- Pay attention to the steaming time of the fish maw, which should be approximately 3 hours to ensure thorough cooking.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- “Sturgeon Banquet” is a renowned specialty banquet in Heilongjiang Province, comprising 6 cold dishes, 8 hot dishes, and 4 desserts. Sturgeon, sourced from rivers like the Heilongjiang, Wusuli, and Songhua, is the largest and most precious freshwater fish. The “Sturgeon Banquet” uses sturgeon as the main ingredient, employing various cooking methods such as braising, steaming, smoking, mixing, roasting, stir-frying, frying, blanching, and freezing. Each dish is meticulously crafted, showcasing the freshness of the fish meat and exquisite presentation, delighting all who taste it.
6 Red Oil Fish Lips
[Main Ingredients and Seasonings]
400g soaked fish lips
15g sugar
15g dried orchid petals
5g MSG
10g rapeseed oil
30g starch
10g chili oil
10g scallions
15g Shaoxing wine
10g ginger
15g soy sauce
200g fresh broth
[Cooking Method]
- Clean and trim the soaked fish lips, cut them into 5cm long and 15cm wide strips, blanch them in boiling water until cooked through, then remove and drain. Cut the dried orchid petals and rapeseed oil into ribbons.
- Heat oil in a wok, fry scallions and ginger briefly, add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and fresh broth. Add the fish lips and prepared ingredients to the wok, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until tender and flavorful. Remove the scallions and ginger pieces, add MSG, thicken with starch, drizzle with chili oil, and serve.
[Key Techniques]
- When soaking the fish lips, ensure they remain intact.
- Adding dried orchid petals to the bottom of the pot enhances the flavor during simmering.
[Flavor Characteristics]
Fish lips, a dried product made from the gills and lips of sharks and rays, are rich in collagen and prized for their gelatinous texture and rich flavor. In ancient times, they were highly esteemed as a delicacy. They are particularly suitable for braising due to their rare and precious nature.
7 Dry-Braised Sliced Carp
[Main Ingredients and Seasonings]
750g live carp
15g pork fat
10g fresh bamboo shoots
10g carrot
10g preserved mustard greens
5g soaked dried mushrooms
10g peas
5g dried chili peppers
10g scallions
4g vinegar
40g sugar
25g soy sauce
7g salt
10g cooking wine
5g ginger
2g garlic
350g chicken broth
1000g vegetable oil
[Cooking Method]
- Remove the gills from the carp, cut open from the dorsal side to remove the internal organs, wash thoroughly. Slice from the dorsal side to the tail into large pieces, then slice one cut under the dorsal bone, flip the fish over, and cut into diagonal knife cuts. Marinate with cooking wine and soy sauce. Cut pork fat, bamboo shoots, carrots, preserved mustard greens, mushrooms, scallions, and dried chili peppers into small cubes. Finely chop scallions and garlic.
- Heat oil in a wok until 80% hot, fry the fish until it turns dark red, then remove and drain.
- Add 25g of vegetable oil to the wok, stir-fry ginger, dried chili peppers, pork fat, preserved mustard greens, and diced mushrooms until fragrant. Add soy sauce, chicken broth, carp, sugar, vinegar, cooking wine, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until thoroughly cooked. Add peas, scallions, carrots, increase heat, and reduce sauce until thick and glossy. Serve hot.
[Key Techniques]
- Pay attention to knife skills to ensure the fish slices are symmetrical and neat.
- Maintain the integrity of the fish pieces during cooking to prevent breakage.
[Flavor Characteristics]
This dish is a traditional specialty from Jilin Province. It uses golden carp from the Songhua Lake, sliced from the back to the belly, resembling two symmetrical fish tails, prepared using dry-braising techniques. It features an attractive appearance, savory and slightly sweet flavors with a glossy sauce, and a delightful freshness from the fish.
8 Red-Braised Pike Eel
[Main Ingredients and Seasonings]
1,000g pike eel
10g vinegar
50g garlic
6g salt
3g shredded scallions
25g caramelized sugar
2g garlic slices
30g lard
10g ginger juice
25g chili oil
75g pork fat
50g sugar
2 star anise
4g MSG (optional)
2g shredded ginger
10g cornstarch
25g cooking wine
1,500g oil
30g soy sauce
[Cooking Method]
- Remove the gills, scales, and internal organs of the pike eel, wash and dry. Cut into large pieces diagonally across both sides, then cut into two segments. Marinate with ginger juice and cooking wine. Cut pork fat into small cubes, garlic into slices.
- Heat oil in a wok until 70-80% hot, fry the head segment of the fish first, then the tail segment. Add pork fat and garlic cubes until golden, then remove all from the wok.
- Add lard to the wok, fry star anise until fragrant, then stir-fry with shredded scallions, shredded ginger, and garlic slices. Pour in cooking wine, add chicken broth, fish, and pork fat cubes, garlic cubes to the wok. Bring to a boil, skim off foam, cover and simmer over low heat until the fish is flavored, then increase heat to reduce sauce, add caramelized sugar, adjust seasoning, place the fish on a plate, use a spoon to drizzle remaining sauce over the fish.
[Key Techniques]
- Use lard for the pork fat cubes.
- When braising the fish, ensure the liquid covers it, and when reducing the sauce, pour it over the fish to enhance flavor.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Pike eel, also known as giant loach or Tengxiang, belongs to the herring family. It is described in Li Shizhen’s “Compendium of Materia Medica” as having no poison, being sweet and warm, appetizing, and beneficial for the stomach and spleen. Its tender flesh and rich fat under the scales make it comparable to herring, hence the sayings “Southern herring, Northern pike eel” and “Come for herring, go for pike eel.” Its silver-white, flat-sided body is highly regarded for its exquisite taste and rich flavor.
- “Red-Braised Pike Eel” is a famous dish from Liaoning Province, characterized by its deep red color, bright sauce, savory-sweet taste, and tender texture. However, it contains more fine bones, so caution is advised when serving to children.
9 Orchid-shaped Bear’s Paw
[Ingredients]
Bear’s paw: 2000 grams
Shaoxing wine: 40 grams
Ham: 50 grams
Monosodium glutamate: 3 grams
Bamboo shoots: 50 grams
Salt: 3 grams
Button mushrooms: 25 grams
Green onions: 5 grams
Rapeseed hearts: 14 pieces
Ginger: 5 grams
Shrimp meat: 100 grams
Vegetable oil: 100 grams
Fat pork: 50 grams
Chicken fat: 25 grams
Starch: 50 grams
Sesame oil: 15 grams
Egg white: 50 grams
Chicken broth: 1250 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Heat oil in a spoon, add green onions and ginger slices to stir-fry. Add cooking wine and chicken broth, then add salt, monosodium glutamate, and pre-soaked bear’s paws. Bring to a boil and pour into a clay pot. Simmer over low heat until tender, remove green onions and ginger.
- Strain the original soup into the spoon, place bear’s paws skin-side down, gently simmer in the spoon over low heat until thoroughly cooked. Adjust the seasoning, thicken with starch slurry, drizzle with chicken fat, then gently place the bear’s paws on a plate. Stir-fry the remaining sauce until glossy and pour over the paws.
- Trim the rapeseed hearts to 6.6 cm lengths. Blanch in boiling water until green, then cool in cold water, drain well, season with salt and monosodium glutamate, and halve lengthwise.
- Combine shrimp meat and fat pork, chop finely in a bowl, add egg white, salt, Shaoxing wine, and starch, mix well and set aside.
- Spread shrimp paste on each rapeseed heart, top with diced ham and mushroom pieces, then arrange on a plate. Steam over low heat until heated through, then place around the bear’s paws.
- Heat oil in a large spoon, add minced green onions and ginger, pour in chicken broth, season with salt and monosodium glutamate, thicken lightly with starch slurry, add chicken fat, drizzle over the rapeseed hearts.
[Key Techniques]
- Select bear’s paws from the Changbai Mountains in northeast China during winter when they are fat and thick.
- Avoid over-blanched rapeseed hearts to prevent them from turning yellow.
- Ensure the shrimp paste is clean and finely chopped, enhancing its smoothness and viscosity for better shaping.
- Smoothly spread the shrimp paste for uniformity, steam over low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Thicken the sauce with starch slurry when it boils to achieve a glossy finish, skimming off any foam. Pour over the ingredients, crucial for a clear and shiny sauce.
- Preparing bear’s paws: soak in warm water to soften, brush with alkaline water to remove impurities, remove outer membrane, cook in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil, simmer until hair can be pulled off easily. Remove hair and black skin, cook until tender. Remove shell and bones, replace with chicken broth, green onions, ginger, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, steam until soft.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- “Orchid-shaped Bear’s Paw” is derived from the famous “Red Braised Bear’s Paw”, inheriting the advantages of traditional dishes and perfecting them.
- Bears are precious wild animals in China and require strict protection. Most Northeast bears live in dense forests of the Great and Lesser Xing’an Mountains and Changbai Mountains. During winter, they hibernate in caves and often lick their paws when hungry.
- Bear’s paw is sweet, salty, and warm in nature. It has a fat content of 43.9%, crude protein content of 55.32%, and collagen content of 8.83%. It contains various amino acids and is believed to nourish blood and qi, strengthen the spleen and stomach, and benefit joints and bones. Suitable for weaknesses of the spleen and stomach, wind-cold damp bi syndrome.
- The history of bear’s paw dishes in China dates back over 2,000 years. During the Yin and Shang dynasties, King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty was recorded to have enjoyed bear’s paw. By the Zhou Dynasty, it had become a delicacy in the imperial court, known as one of the Eight Treasures. The philosopher Mencius in the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period also mentioned his preference for bear’s paw.
- This dish has a golden-red color, glossy and rich sauce, tender meat, and the rapeseed hearts shaped like orchids stuffed with shrimp paste. It is elegant and exquisite in presentation, combining meat and vegetable elements, truly a precious delicacy.
10 Triple Delicacy Deer Antler Soup
[Ingredients]
Steamed deer antler: 100 grams
Clean bamboo shoots: 50 grams
Rehydrated sea cucumber: 100 grams
Monosodium glutamate: 2 grams
Cooked chicken meat: 50 grams
Chicken broth: 300 grams
Salt: 50 grams
Cornstarch (mixed with water): 20 grams
Sesame oil: 5 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Slice the sea cucumber, chicken meat, and bamboo shoots into 1.3 cm cubes. Blanch them in boiling water, then drain. Cut the deer antler into 0.7 cm dice, place in a bowl, season with a little salt and monosodium glutamate, and set aside.
- Clean the wok and place it over high heat. Add chicken broth, sea cucumber, chicken slices, bamboo shoots, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, thicken with cornstarch mixture, drizzle with sesame oil, then transfer to a soup bowl. Sprinkle the diced deer antler on top.
[Key Techniques]
- Sea cucumber and bamboo shoots must be blanched in water before use.
- Use medium heat throughout the soup cooking process.
- Ensure the thickening agent does not make the soup too thick.
- Steaming method for deer antler: Heat a towel with boiling water, squeeze out excess water, wrap tightly around the deer antler, grip tightly with both hands, twist to remove the velvet, rinse with warm water. Steam with cleaned bamboo shoots for 15 minutes, remove and peel the velvet from the deer antler to obtain steamed deer antler.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Deer antler, from young, non-calcified horns of deer species like sika deer or red deer, has a sweet, salty, and moist taste. It contains organic structures, collagen, and hormones such as testosterone. It is believed to strengthen yang, nourish qi and blood, and benefit essence. It is commonly used to treat dizziness, deafness, vertigo, soreness of the lower back and knees, impotence, premature ejaculation, uterine coldness, irregular menstruation, and excessive vaginal discharge.
- This soup has a light white color, delicious taste, tender deer antler, and a visually appealing combination of red, yellow, and white ingredients.