Ingredients
1 live carp (about 1000 g / 2.2 lbs), 100 g soaked mung bean vermicelli, 50 g pork fatback, 25 g cooked bok choy hearts, 25 g egg whites, 15 g cooked ham slices, 50 g soaked shiitake mushroom slices, 500 g (about 2 cups) chicken broth.
Seasonings
25 g Shaoxing wine, 25 g cornstarch, 15 g chopped scallions, 15 g sesame oil, 10 g minced ginger, 3.5 g salt, and 2 g MSG.
Instructions
1. Clean the carp, cut off the head and tail, and take the clean fish meat. After washing, mince it together with pork fatback into a paste. Place in a bowl, add Shaoxing wine, scallions, ginger, egg whites, chicken broth, and salt, stirring vigorously until firm. Then add minced vermicelli and potato starch, mixing into a batter. Clean the fish head and tail, blanch them in boiling water, then steam with salt, Shaoxing wine, scallions, and ginger until cooked through.
2. Place the pot over heat, add cold water, then squeeze the fish paste into large longan-sized balls and drop them into the water. When the water comes to a boil, the fish balls are cooked; remove them with a slotted spoon.
3. Place the wok over heat and add lard, fry the scallions and ginger until golden and fragrant, then remove them. Add chicken broth, the fish balls, bok choy hearts, ham slices, and shiitake mushroom slices. Add Shaoxing wine, salt, and MSG. Bring to a boil, thicken with a cornstarch slurry, and drizzle with sesame oil. Transfer to an oval platter and garnish with the steamed fish head and tail at each end. This dish features delicate, snowy-white fish balls that are silky, tender, and refreshing, making it especially suitable for the elderly.