Ingredients
1 whole fish, 50 g (about 1.8 oz) each of fatty pork, shiitake mushrooms, and winter bamboo shoots, 500 ml (about 2 cups) chicken broth.
Seasonings
800 g vegetable oil (about 100 g will be absorbed), 50 g lard, 25 g each of cooking wine, scallions, ginger, garlic, and Pixian broad bean paste, 15 g rice vinegar, 10 g salt, 5 g soy sauce, 3 g sugar, 6 g MSG.
Instructions
1. Cut the pork, winter bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms into pea-sized pieces. Gut the fish, clean out the gills, and wash thoroughly. Cut the fish into 4 cm long by 2 cm wide pieces, lightly coat with soy sauce, then fry in a hot oiled wok until golden brown. Remove and drain the oil. Slice the scallion, ginger, and garlic into small pieces.
2. Place a clay pot over high heat and heat the cooked lard until hot. Add scallions, ginger, and garlic slices, stir-frying until fragrant. Then add diced pork, winter bamboo shoots, and diced shiitake mushrooms, followed by broad bean paste, stir-frying briefly. Pour in chicken broth, then add cooking wine, sugar, salt, MSG, and rice vinegar. Once the soup comes to a boil, add the fish pieces and simmer over low heat until tender. This dish has a glossy appearance, tender and rich fish, a savory-sweet-spicy flavor, and a delicious, comforting broth.