Ingredients
boneless knife fish, cooked pork fat paste, cooked ham slices, cooked ham mince, cilantro leaves, spring bamboo shoots, soaked shiitake mushrooms, egg whites, and clear chicken broth, all to taste.
Seasonings
Shaoxing wine, salt, MSG, scallion segments, ginger slices, water starch, and lard to taste.
Instructions
1. Scale the knife fish, remove the gills and fins, make a horizontal cut near the vent, insert chopsticks through the gill opening into the belly to twist out the entrails, cut off the tip of the tail, rinse clean, then for each fish, slice open along both sides of the backbone from the back, remove the backbone, lay the fish skin-side down on a cutting board, gently pound the flesh with the back of a knife so the fine bones stick to the skin, dip the knife blade in water, scrape off the flesh from both sides, and chop into a fine paste.
2. Place the fish paste in a bowl, add minced cooked pork fat, egg whites, salt, monosodium glutamate, Shaoxing wine, and an appropriate amount of water, stirring until well combined. Divide the mixture into four portions and spread evenly over the flesh side of four hairtail fish skins. Cover each with the other half of the fish skin to restore the fish's original shape. Press minced ham and cilantro onto the seams, then arrange the fish in a dish. Alternately layer slices of ham, spring bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms over the fish.
3. Place scallion sections and ginger slices on the fish, add Shaoxing wine and salt, then steam in a bamboo steamer until cooked through; remove, discard the scallion and ginger, and drain off the liquid.
4. Place the wok over high heat, pour in the chicken broth, add MSG and salt, bring to a boil, then thicken with a water-starch slurry, drizzle in lard, and pour the sauce over the fish to serve. This dish features a whole, intact fish that is completely boneless to eat.