Ingredients
750 g (about 3 cups) chicken broth, 1 catfish head, 50 g (about 1.8 oz) each chicken feet, duck feet, and pork fatback, 25 g (about 1 oz) white mushrooms, 10 g (about 0.4 oz) dried shrimp.
Seasonings
150 g (about 5 oz) lard, 25 g (about 1 oz) garlic, 20 g (about 0.7 oz) rock sugar, 10 g each of cooking wine, dark soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and light soy sauce.
Instructions
1. Cut the pork fat belly into strips about 3 cm long and 1 cm thick; remove the gills and jawbone from the catfish head, clean it, and chop it open from the top of the skull toward the mouth (without cutting all the way through); clean the chicken feet and duck feet, removing the rough outer skin; wash the white fungus mushrooms, soak until softened (cut larger ones in half).
2. Place a wok over high heat and add lard, heating it to about 200°C (400°F). Gently fry the fish head, splashing in cooking wine, until it turns slightly golden, then remove it. Pour off most of the oil, leaving about 75 g (1/3 cup) in the wok. Add the pork, chicken feet, and duck feet along with the cooking wine, scallions, and ginger, and stir-fry briefly. Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, and skim off any foam.
3. Place a bamboo grate at the bottom of the pot, then layer chicken feet and duck feet on top, add the fish head, pork, and all the cooking liquid, then add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, dried shrimp, and white mushrooms, simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes until cooked, when the liquid has reduced to about one-third, remove the scallions, ginger, pork, chicken feet, and duck feet, then add rock sugar and steamed garlic, cook until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens, transfer to a large serving dish and serve. This dish features tender, delicate fish with a rich, glossy sauce.