1 Original Juice Wuling Soft-Shelled Turtle
[Ingredients]
- Live soft-shelled turtles: 2
- Pork belly: 300 grams
- Cooked ham: 50 grams
- Button mushrooms: 25 grams
- Green onions: 25 grams
- Ginger: 25 grams
- Shaoxing wine: 100 grams
- Garlic cloves: 50 grams
- MSG: 2 grams
- Pepper powder: 2.5 grams
- Fine salt: 5 grams
- Cooked lard: 50 grams
- Yellow vinegar: 50 grams
- Chicken fat: 15 grams
[Preparation]
- Clean the pork belly and cut it into 1 cm thick pieces. Blanch in boiling water and drain. Cut the ham into 3 cm square pieces. Slice the button mushrooms. Clean the garlic, cut the green onion white into sections, and dice half of the ginger. Mix with vinegar to make juice, and crush the remaining green onion and ginger.
- Place the soft-shelled turtle on a wooden board. When the head extends out, cut it off with a knife, then turn the turtle so the tail is up to let the blood drain. Scald with boiling water, then rub off the yellow membrane. Scald again until the black membrane on the skirt edge can be scraped off. Remove the turtle from the water, scrape off the remaining membrane, make a cut in the middle of the bottom, and cook in cold water until the shell can be removed. Remove the hard shell, internal organs, throat, and trachea, cut off the tips of the claws, and cut the skirt into 3 cm pieces.
- Put the turtle meat in a clay pot, marinate with 25 grams of Shaoxing wine and 1 gram of fine salt for 10 minutes. Rinse with clean water and squeeze out any remaining blood.
- In a sand pot lined with a base, add the crushed green onion, ginger, pork belly, garlic cloves, ham slices, mushrooms, and turtle pieces. Add 25 grams of Shaoxing wine, 3 grams of fine salt, pepper powder, and enough water to cover the turtle meat. Cover with a plate and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam. Then reduce to a low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the turtle is tender and aromatic.
- Remove the turtle, place it in a deep dish, discard the green onion, ginger, and pork belly. Boil the remaining broth until thickened, add MSG, pepper powder, and green onion segments, and pour over the turtle. Drizzle with chicken fat and serve with a small dish of vinegar.
[Key Points]
- Use soft-shelled turtles from Wuling Town, Changde County, Hunan Province, known for their pure yellow color, tender meat, and excellent flavor.
- Dead soft-shelled turtles are toxic and inedible. To remove the fishy smell, wash and cook the turtle thoroughly, using green onions, ginger, and wine. The turtle should be eaten hot; reheating after it has cooled may intensify the fishy odor.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Soft-shelled turtle, also known as “yuan fish” or “water turtle,” has a long history of consumption. Its meat is highly valued, with the skirt being particularly prized.
- It is best to eat soft-shelled turtle in spring and autumn. Folk wisdom suggests “cauliflower turtle” (spring) and “osmanthus foot fish” (autumn). A turtle weighing about 50 grams is considered ideal.
- Soft-shelled turtle contains 69.8% water, 19.8% protein, 0.5% fat, and 1.2% minerals. It is sweet, cold in nature, and has benefits for the kidneys, stomach, and cooling the blood. It is used to treat physical weakness, tuberculosis, tumors, and excessive discharge.
- This dish is tender, aromatic, and retains its original flavor, with a thick, bright sauce that is delicious and appetizing.
2 Three Ways to Eat One Fish
[Ingredients]
- Cleaned mandarin fish fillet: 750 grams
- Ginger: 10 grams
- Tomato ketchup: 50 grams
- Chicken stock: 100 grams
- Yellow chives: 100 grams
- Sichuan pepper: 0.5 grams
- Fresh cilantro: 50 grams
- Sichuan pepper powder: 0.5 grams
- Dry starch: 15 grams
- MSG: 1 gram
- Wet starch: 50 grams
- Sesame oil: 10 grams
- Eggs: 2
- Cooked lard: 500 grams
- Shaoxing wine: 45 grams (about 150 grams used)
- Green onions: 10 grams
- Fine salt: 3.5 grams
[Preparation]
- Tomato Fish Slices:
1.1. Cut 250 grams of mandarin fish fillet into 4 cm long, 2.6 cm wide, and 0.3 cm thick slices. Coat with 1 egg, 15 grams of Shaoxing wine, 15 grams of wet starch, and 1 gram of fine salt.
1.2. Heat a wok with cooked lard until it reaches 70% heat. Fry the coated fish slices until cooked. Drain the oil.
1.3. Retain 25 grams of oil in the wok, heat to 60% heat, then add tomato ketchup, fish slices, 0.5 grams of fine salt, and 0.5 grams of MSG. Add 50 grams of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Thicken with 10 grams of wet starch, stir until red, and place in one-third of a large plate. Drizzle with 2.5 grams of sesame oil. - Crispy Fish Balls:
2.1. Take 250 grams of mandarin fish fillet with skin, remove the bones, and make crosshatch cuts every 0.3 cm on one side. Cut into 3.3 cm long, 3.3 cm wide, and 1 cm thick pieces. Marinate with 10 grams each of crushed green onions and ginger, 15 grams of Shaoxing wine, 0.5 grams of Sichuan pepper, 0.5 grams of MSG, and 1 gram of fine salt for 10 minutes.
2.2. Remove green onions, ginger, and Sichuan pepper. Evenly coat the fish pieces with 15 grams of dry starch. Mix by hand to ensure the other side is also coated with starch.
2.3. Heat the wok with cooked lard to 70% heat. Fry the fish pieces until they form ball shapes and turn golden brown. Drain the oil and place the fish balls in one-third of the large plate. Drizzle with 5 grams of sesame oil and sprinkle with Sichuan pepper powder. - Yellow Chive Fish Strips:
3.1. Cut 250 grams of mandarin fish fillet into 5 cm long, 0.3 cm square strips. Mix with 1 egg, 15 grams of wet starch, 0.5 grams of fine salt, and 15 grams of Shaoxing wine.
3.2. Clean and cut yellow chives into 3.3 cm long sections.
3.3. Heat the wok with cooked lard to 50% heat. Fry the fish strips until cooked and drain the oil.
3.4. Heat the wok again with 25 grams of cooked lard to 60% heat. Stir-fry the yellow chives, then add 0.5 grams of fine salt, followed by the fish strips. Add 50 grams of chicken stock, bring to a boil, and thicken with 10 grams of wet starch. Serve in one-third of the plate with 2.5 grams of sesame oil and place fresh cilantro in the center of the plate.
[Key Points]
Use fresh mandarin fish, weighing about 1500 grams. This dish features three distinct flavors from one fish, showcasing the essence of Hunan cuisine.
[Flavor Characteristics]
“Three Ways to Eat One Fish” features one mandarin fish prepared in three different styles: red (tomato fish slices), yellow (crispy fish balls), and white (yellow chive fish strips). The fish slices are sweet and sour, the fish balls are crispy and fragrant, and the fish strips are tender.
3 Silver Needle Tea Chicken Broth Fish Slices
[Ingredients]
- Cleaned mandarin fish fillet: 20 grams
- Winter bamboo shoots: 10 grams
- Lean ham: 25 grams
- Rehydrated button mushrooms: 10 grams
- Chinese cabbage buds: 12 pieces
- Wet starch: 5 grams
- Junshan silver needle tea: 10 grams
- Fine salt: 1.5 grams
- Chicken stock: 750 grams
- MSG: 0.5 grams
- Mixed bone broth: 500 grams
- Pepper powder: 0.5 grams
- Egg white: 1
- Chicken fat: 10 grams
[Preparation]
- Clean the mandarin fish fillet and cut into 3 cm long, 1 cm wide, and 0.3 cm thick slices. Marinate with egg white, 0.5 grams of fine salt, and wet starch. Cut the ham into 2 cm long, 1 cm wide, and 0.3 cm thick slices. Slice the winter bamboo shoots and button mushrooms. Place the silver needle tea in a transparent small glass cup.
- Heat a wok over high heat, add chicken stock, and season with 1 gram of fine salt and MSG. Bring to a boil and transfer to a bowl. Boil the mixed bone broth, then add the fish slices, winter bamboo shoots, button mushrooms, and Chinese cabbage buds. Cook until done and transfer to the chicken stock bowl. Sprinkle pepper powder on top, drizzle with chicken fat, cover with a lid, and bring to the table. When the silver needle tea has infused in hot water, remove the lid and pour the tea into the soup bowl.
[Key Points]
This is a blanching-style tea soup, where seasoning is added to boiling water and ingredients are quickly cooked over high heat. To ensure the fish slices cook quickly, uniform cutting is crucial—slices should be even in size and thickness.
[Flavor Characteristics]
Silver Needle Tea Chicken Broth Fish Slices is a famous soup dish from the “Baling Whole Fish Banquet.” Legend has it that the name “Baling Whole Fish Banquet” was bestowed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and has since evolved to include over 20 dishes, such as fish dishes, fish snacks, fish platters, and fish soups. This soup features carefully selected ingredients with Junshan silver needle tea adding a unique flavor, but the tea is not cooked with the other ingredients. Instead, it is infused separately and poured into the soup just before serving, imparting a delicate fragrance.
4 Furong Crucian Carp
[Ingredients]
- Fresh crucian carp: 2 pieces (750 grams)
- Egg whites: 5
- Cooked lean ham: 15 grams
- Green onions: 25 grams
- Ginger: 15 grams
- Shaoxing wine: 50 grams
- Chicken stock: 250 grams
- Fine salt: 5 grams
- Chicken fat: 15 grams
- MSG: 2 grams
- Pepper powder: 0.5 grams
[Preparation]
- Clean the crucian carp, removing scales, gills, and internal organs. Wash the fish and cut off the head and tail, placing the head, tail, and body into a plate. Add Shaoxing wine, crushed green onions, and ginger. Steam in a steamer for 10 minutes. Remove from the steamer, keeping the head, tail, and original broth intact, and carefully remove the fish meat with a knife.
- Beat the egg whites and mix with the fish meat, chicken stock, and the original fish broth. Add fine salt, MSG, and pepper powder. Mix well. Pour half of the mixture into a soup bowl and steam until half-cooked. Remove from the steamer and pour the remaining mixture on top. Steam until fully cooked. At the same time, steam the fish head and tail.
- Remove the Furong crucian carp and the fish head and tail. Arrange the head and tail at the ends of the Furong crucian carp to form a fish shape. Sprinkle with finely chopped ham and green onions, and drizzle with chicken fat.
[Key Points]
Do not steam the crucian carp for too long—10 minutes is ideal. Over-steaming can make the meat tough and the bones soft, causing the flavor to diminish.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Crucian carp is a small, adaptable fish found in most water systems across China, except the Tibetan Plateau. It thrives in shallow, weed-rich river bends and lakes. The growth rate varies by region, with crucian carp in the Yangtze River’s middle and lower reaches typically around 250 grams, but can reach up to 1250 grams. It is available year-round, but the best quality is in spring and winter.
- The Dongting Lake area is renowned for its “bag-shaped” crucian carp, which is plump and has a tender, sweet, and flavorful flesh. This dish uses bag-shaped crucian carp as the main ingredient, steamed with egg whites for a delicate and melt-in-the-mouth texture. It is a traditional and renowned dish from Hunan cuisine.
5 Silver Thread Crucian Carp
[Ingredients]
- Live crucian carp: 2 (750 grams)
- Ginger slices: 15 grams
- White radish: 200 grams
- Shaoxing wine: 25 grams
- Cooked ham: 25 grams
- Pepper powder: 0.5 grams
- Rehydrated button mushrooms: 25 grams
- Milk soup: 250 grams
- Fine salt: 3 grams
- Meat stock: 400 grams
- Cooked chicken fat: 5 grams
- Green onion knots: 10 grams
- Cooked lard: 50 grams
- Chopped green onions: 5 grams
- MSG: 1 gram
[Preparation]
- Clean the crucian carp by removing scales, gills, and internal organs. Rinse with cold water. Cut the white radish into 7 cm long thin strips. Slice the cooked ham and rehydrated button mushrooms into 4 cm long thin strips.
- Heat a wok over medium heat, add cooked lard, and heat until it reaches 60% heat. Briefly pan-fry the crucian carp, then quickly add Shaoxing wine. Add 2 grams of fine salt, meat stock, radish strips, green onion knots, and ginger slices. Bring to a boil and cook until done. Remove the green onion knots and ginger slices, skim off the foam, and add 250 grams of milk soup. Then add the mushroom strips, ham strips, 1 gram of fine salt, and MSG. Bring to a boil again, pour into a large soup bowl, sprinkle with pepper powder, add chopped green onions, and drizzle with chicken fat.
[Key Points]
- Pan-fry the crucian carp on both sides, but do not over-brown.
- Ensure the soup has a sufficient volume and boils vigorously, resulting in a milky-white color and a delicious flavor.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Crucian carp, also known as “Fus” in ancient times, is considered a high-quality freshwater fish. Ancient people praised it, saying, “The best fish is the crucian carp from Dongting Lake.”
- Silver Thread Crucian Carp features crucian carp cooked with radish strips. The white radish strips, resembling silver threads, are beautifully arranged with the fish, creating a delicate and nutritious dish with a fresh, milky-colored broth and tender meat, ideal for nourishing the body.
6 Steamed Fish with Lotus Leaves
[Ingredients]
- Live grass carp: 1 (1250 grams)
- Ginger: 15 grams
- Fresh lotus leaves: 2 pieces
- Fine salt: 5 grams
- Soy sauce: 25 grams
- Shaoxing wine: 50 grams
- MSG: 1.5 grams
- Chili oil: 15 grams
- Dry starch: 30 grams
- Pepper powder: 1 gram
- Sesame oil: 50 grams
- Chopped green onions: 15 grams
- Cooked lard: 100 grams
[Preparation]
- Clean the grass carp by removing scales, gills, and fins. Open the belly from the back, remove the internal organs, and clean thoroughly. Remove the bones and backbone, then cut the fish into two pieces with skin. Slice the fish into 6 cm wide and 2 cm thick chunks. Cut the lotus leaves into 3 cm diameter circles, placing one piece at the bottom of a small steamer.
- Place the fish slices in a plate. Add Shaoxing wine, fine salt, soy sauce, MSG, chili oil, pepper powder, and cooked lard, and mix well. Sprinkle with dry starch. Place the fish slices on the lotus leaf in the steamer. Cover with another piece of lotus leaf. Steam over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove the top lotus leaf, sprinkle with chopped green onions, drizzle with sesame oil, and cover with the lotus leaf again. Serve.
[Key Points]
Ensure that the steaming is done over high heat to cook the fish chunks thoroughly in 10 minutes. Oversteaming can make the bones difficult to separate and can result in a loss of tenderness.
[Flavor Characteristics]
In the southern waters of China, during the summer month of June, the lotus leaves are fresh. Steamed with live grass carp, the green lotus leaves and the white fish meat create a dish that is fresh, elegant, and aromatic.
7 Steamed Shad with Lard Mesh
[Ingredients]
- Fresh shad: 1 (1000 grams)
- Shaoxing wine: 25 grams
- Lard mesh: 100 grams
- Green onion knots: 10 grams
- Ginger slices: 10 grams
- Cooked ham: 50 grams
- MSG: 1 gram
- Rehydrated button mushrooms: 25 grams
- Fine salt: 3.5 grams
- Fresh coriander: 50 grams
- Chicken broth: 100 grams
- Cooked lard: 25 grams
[Preparation]
- Clean the shad by removing the gills and cutting open the belly to remove the internal organs. Make a cut near the spine to remove any blood clots, then rinse away the blood. Rub the fish with 2.5 grams of fine salt and Shaoxing wine, let it marinate for about 3 minutes, and then rinse with clean water. Slice the rehydrated button mushrooms and cooked ham into thin pieces, approximately 3 cm long and 2 cm wide.
- Clean the lard mesh and lay it out on a cutting board. Place the shad in the center, layer the mushroom slices and ham slices on the fish, sprinkle with 1 gram of fine salt and MSG. Wrap the fish with the lard mesh and place it in a dish. Drizzle with cooked lard, and top with green onion knots and ginger slices. Steam in a steamer for about 30 minutes. After steaming, remove the green onion and ginger. Pour the chicken broth into the dish, drizzle with chicken fat, and garnish with coriander around the edge.
[Key Points]
The shad is not scaled due to its high fat content and exceptional freshness.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- The shad is a prized fish known for its seasonal appearance. It is distributed along the coasts of China, North Korea, and the Philippines. In the spring and early summer, shad migrate upriver to spawn, during which time it is rich in fat and has a delicious flavor. In Hunan, it is found in the Xiang, Zi, Yuan, and Li rivers, being fattest when first entering the river and becoming leaner after spawning.
- This dish, a specialty of Changsha, features shad wrapped in lard mesh and steamed, resulting in a fresh, delicate, and fragrant flavor. The rich fat of the fish, paired with the red ham and green coriander, creates a dish with a gentle color and beautiful presentation.
8 Raw Smoked Fish
[Ingredients]
- Live fish: 1 (1000 grams)
- Fine salt: 55 grams
- Yellow vinegar: 25 grams
- Fresh coriander: 50 grams
- Green onion knots: 15 grams
- White sugar: 50 grams
- Ginger slices: 15 grams
- Minced ginger: 10 grams
- Sesame oil: 50 grams
- Shaoxing wine: 25 grams
- Rice for smoking: 50 grams
- Sichuan peppercorns: 0.5 grams
- Tea leaves: 25 grams
- MSG: 1 gram
- Chili oil: 10 grams
[Preparation]
- Scale and clean the fish, making a cut from the tail to the head along the belly to remove the internal organs and wash thoroughly. Make a cut along the thick part of the back and place the fish in a dish. Add green onion knots, ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, Shaoxing wine, MSG, and 5 grams of fine salt. Marinate for about 2 hours.
- Take a large earthenware pot and place small pieces of charcoal at the bottom. Put an iron grate on top of the charcoal, followed by a bamboo grate. Place the fish, belly side down, on the bamboo grate and cover with an iron lid. Heat the pot over medium heat until it is red hot and the charcoal is glowing. Remove the pot from the heat and let the charcoal burn slowly. When the fish is about 80-90% cooked, remove the iron lid and take out the fish with the iron grate. Sprinkle the rice, tea leaves, 50 grams of fine salt, and white sugar over the still glowing charcoal. Once the rice and tea leaves start to smoke, continue to smoke the fish on the iron and bamboo grates until the rice and tea leaves are reduced to ashes. Remove the iron lid to find the fish is smoked to a yellow color and fully cooked. Place the fish, skin side up, into a large porcelain dish.
- Heat sesame oil in a wok over high heat until it is about 60% hot, then evenly drizzle it over the fish. Serve the fish with fresh coriander, chili oil, yellow vinegar, and minced ginger in small dishes alongside.
[Key Points]
The fish should not be marinated for more than 2 hours to ensure it retains its fresh flavor during smoking.
[Flavor Characteristics]
Raw smoked fish is named for its quick smoking process. The use of rice and tea leaves in the smoking mixture imparts a rich smoky aroma. This dish features a reddish-brown color and tender fish meat, making it a specialty of the Dongting Lake region.
9 Claypot Giant Carp Head
[Ingredients]
- Large fresh giant carp head: 2000 grams
- Cooked pig fat: 75 grams
- Shaoxing wine: 50 grams
- Pork: 100 grams
- Fine salt: 7 grams
- Fresh winter bamboo shoots: 50 grams
- MSG: 1.5 grams
- Rehydrated shiitake mushrooms: 50 grams
- Chicken stock: 500 grams
- Tofu: 4 pieces
- Ginger: 15 grams
- Pepper powder: 1 gram
- Chicken fat: 15 grams
- Green onions: 15 grams
[Preparation]
- Remove the scales and gills from the fish head, wash thoroughly, and marinate with Shaoxing wine and 4 grams of fine salt for about 30 minutes. Rinse and drain. Slice the pork and winter bamboo shoots. Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and cut larger ones into smaller pieces. Cut the white part of the green onions into sections, crush the remaining green onions and ginger, and cut the tofu into strips of 4 cm long and 2 cm wide.
- Heat the pig fat in a wok over medium heat until it is about 60% hot. Fry the fish head until both sides are golden brown. Add the green onions, ginger, winter bamboo shoots, pork slices, shiitake mushrooms, 250 grams of water, and 3 grams of fine salt. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and pour everything into a claypot. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the chicken stock, bring to a boil again, and add the green onion sections, MSG, and chicken fat. Reduce the heat and add the tofu, and the dish is ready.
[Key Points]
The carp head should be large rather than small. A large head has thicker and richer gelatin, while a small head makes it harder to remove the bones.
[Flavor Characteristics]
The giant carp, also known as the bighead carp or “fathead fish,” lives in the mid-to-upper layers of water, is gentle, and moves slowly, feeding primarily on plankton and aquatic plants. It is distributed throughout the eastern plains of China, especially in the Yangtze River Basin and Pearl River region. The head is rich in muscle and soft tissues, often used alone in dishes. This dish features a creamy white soup with a rich flavor, served directly from the pot and enjoyed hot and fresh.
10 Sweet and Sour Silverfish
[Ingredients]
- Dried silverfish: 150 grams
- Green onions: 25 grams
- Flour: 50 grams
- Ginger slices: 25 grams
- Lily powder: 50 grams
- Shaoxing wine: 25 grams
- Wet starch: 25 grams
- Soy sauce: 20 grams
- White sugar: 50 grams
- MSG: 1 gram
- Clear meat stock: 100 grams
- Fine salt: 1.5 grams
- Miscellaneous bone broth: 250 grams
- Cooked pig fat: 1000 grams
- Yellow vinegar: 25 grams (about 100 grams used)
[Preparation]
- Use scissors to cut off the head and tail of the silverfish, soak in cold water for 10 minutes, and rinse thoroughly. In a wok, combine the bone broth, fine salt, 5 grams of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, 15 grams of green onions, and 15 grams of ginger slices. Add the silverfish and boil for about 1 minute to remove the fishy smell. Remove from heat, drain using a strainer, and discard the green onions and ginger.
- Place the silverfish in a large plate, spread it out, and sprinkle with flour and lily powder. Toss gently to ensure the silverfish is evenly coated with a layer of flour and lily powder.
- Heat the cooked pig fat in a wok over high heat until it reaches about 60% temperature. Add the silverfish and use chopsticks to separate them. Fry for about 5 minutes until the exterior turns golden brown. Drain the excess oil using a strainer and transfer the silverfish to a large plate.
- In a small bowl, combine white sugar, 25 grams of yellow vinegar, 10 grams of chopped green onions, 10 grams of minced ginger, 15 grams of soy sauce, MSG, wet starch, and meat stock to make the sauce. Heat 50 grams of cooked pig fat in a wok over high heat until it reaches about 80% temperature. Add the prepared sauce and bring to a boil to form a yellow sweet and sour sauce. Pour the sauce into a small bowl. To serve, hold the plate with one hand and the bowl of sauce with the other, pour the sauce over the silverfish, and you will hear a sizzling sound.
[Key Points]
The coating of flour on the silverfish should not be too thick; if it is, the outer layer will become hard and not crispy.
[Flavor Characteristics]
The silverfish from Chenjiang County in Hunan is silver-white, hence called “Yuan White.” The sweet and sour dish made from this silverfish has a golden color, a slightly crispy exterior, a sweet and tangy flavor, and an enticing aroma. It is a traditional dish from the Yuanjiang region.