A hint of vinegar fragrance mingles with a mellow soy sauce aroma, and the fish head is incredibly tender and soft.
A bright flame blazes, steam rises, and a fish head lies in an iron pot filled with rich broth. The thick, glossy sauce bubbles with bright red bubbles, eagerly crashing against the fish head, as if the tender flesh might break apart at any moment. When the lid is lifted, the bubbles burst upon contact with the air, sending up tiny droplets, releasing the fresh aroma of the fish. A faintly sweet and sour scent mingles with lively, vibrant notes, gently filling every corner of the nose.
This is the so-called "braising method," a very healthy cooking technique where the ingredients go directly into the pot without being fried first, making it both eco-friendly and delicious. Note that the braising time must be long enough and the heat cannot be too low, so the fish meat stays tender and fresh.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
1000 g (about 2.2 lbs) fish head
Be sure to use the head of a fresh bighead carp—it's large and meaty, while other fish heads are too small and have little meat.
Seasonings
600 ml (about 2 1/2 cups) beer
40 g soy sauce
70 g rice vinegar (about 1/3 cup)
20 g (about 1.4 oz) soybean paste
25 g (about 2 tablespoons) sugar
2 g salt
green onion, ginger, and garlic - to taste
3 star anise
Cinnamon stick, 1 small piece
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Wash the fish head thoroughly, place it with the gill side facing up, split it open with a knife, and press it flat to keep it steady (Image 2). Cut the scallion into sections, slice the ginger into large pieces, and cut the garlic cloves in half (Image 3).
*The fish head must be thoroughly cleaned, especially the gill area and the cavity where the head meets the body, until no blood seeps out.
*Fish heads are quite large with hard bones, so use a thick-bladed knife to split them; a blade that's too thin may get nicked, and be careful not to hurt yourself when chopping!
*In restaurants, the braised fish head is always served skin-side up, which is achieved by flipping it when plating, but at home it doesn't matter as long as it tastes good; if you want the presentation, first pour out the braising liquid, then place a plate upside down over the fish head, hold the plate firmly with your hand, and flip the pot over the sink to avoid spilling the sauce on yourself.
Stir-fry the sauce until fragrant.
Pour about 2 tablespoons of oil into a wok and heat over high heat until it reaches 70-80% hot (oil starts to shimmer). First, add ginger and garlic and fry briefly (Image 4), then add star anise and cinnamon stick. Pour in soy sauce and rice vinegar to release their aroma (Image 5), then add a bottle of beer, along with soybean paste, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil (Image 6).
*Use plenty of seasonings since the fish head is raw and not fried first; if you use too little, it won't mask the fishy taste—add a few dried chilies if you like it spicy.
*Beer helps remove fishy odors and enhances flavor, making it a better choice than plain water. If beer is unavailable, water can be used instead, but add some Shaoxing wine and a bit more vinegar to maintain the overall flavor balance.
*A hint of vinegar aroma should be present when eating this dish, but it should not taste sour. The vinegar is mainly used to remove any fishy smell; since different types of vinegar vary in acidity, adjust the amount according to the acidity level of the vinegar you are using.
*After adding vinegar, be sure to add sugar, otherwise the flavor will be too sharp, but the amount of sugar is also important—besides balancing the vinegar's acidity, it enriches the sauce, yet you shouldn't taste too much sweetness when eating the fish.
Simmer the fish head in the seasoned broth over medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked and infused with flavor.
③ Place the fish head into the sauce, add scallion segments, and bring to a boil over high heat (Image 7). Then reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy (Image 8).
*The braising time for the fish must be sufficient—at least 40 minutes, with 1 hour being even better; toward the end, you'll notice the sauce becomes thick and sticky, partly because the liquid has reduced and partly because the fish head releases natural gelatin, which is usually a sign it's ready.
*The heat level is very important—it shouldn't be too low; the broth needs to stay at a rolling boil, but not too vigorous, or the fish skin may break, so use a slightly lower medium heat.
Do not uncover the pot for the first half hour of braising the fish, as this will affect the flavor. After 30 minutes, you may lift the lid and ladle the sauce over any parts of the fish not fully submerged, repeating several times to ensure even flavor throughout.
*Finally, be sure to leave plenty of sauce in the pan, since you'll need it to soak the bread!
Cooking Notes
Bighead carp is a type of silver carp, scientifically known as spotted silver carp, while another variety is called white silver carp. Silver carp meat is very tender but packed with tiny bones, making it quite troublesome to eat. Relatively speaking, spotted silver carp has fewer bones than white silver carp and a larger head, so for eating fish head, spotted silver carp—also known as bighead carp—is the ideal choice. Additionally, to ensure the freshest ingredients, always have the fishmonger kill the live fish in front of you. Since nowadays people mostly eat only the head of silver carp and the body is tricky to handle, fishmongers typically cut the head with a portion of the body attached. You can use the body separately for another dish, such as braised silver carp. If you don't want the body, you can ask the fishmonger to cut just the head, but because the leftover body is hard to sell, the price for the head alone will be higher.