Zhejiang, being the Land of Fish and Rice, has all kinds of fish dishes. One of many well-known fish dishes is a neighborhood delicacy from Hangzhou, which is the West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce or the Xi Hu Cu Yu. In Hangzhou, their dishes are normally named after a well-known place or a well-known particular person and normally have some fascinating tales behind them.
Xi hu Cu Yu is usually known as as “Sister Tune’s Treasure”. The attention-grabbing story behind it’s in regards to the dying of the older brother, and Sister Tune, the spouse cooked the fish with candy and bitter sauce to stimulate the urge for food of the grieving youthful brother. The sauce is nice and bitter, as a logo of the sweetness of life, and bitter to remind them of the bitter oppression for the commoners and for his or her grieving. Having eaten the fish with candy and bitter sauce, the youthful brother left city. He was enormously moved by the importance of the dish he simply ate and he made positive to earn fame and fortune earlier than he went again to Hangzhou to avenge his elder brother and to take care of his sister-in-law Nước tương.
In different variations of the story, the youthful brother turned an authority a number of years after, and in a single banquet that he attended, the identical dish which is the fish in candy and bitter sauce was served. He was shocked and requested the host who cooked the dish. He came upon that it was his sister-in-law who had been a helper to keep away from reprisal.
This dish could also be named after the gorgeous and ever well-known water wonderland, West Lake, however don’t worry as a result of any white fish can be utilized for this recipe.
Listed below are the elements:
- 1 Complete Fish – approx 2 lbs (grass carp, snapper, sea bass or any white fish)
- 6 cups water
- 4 – 5 slices of ginger
- 1 stalk scallion – finely chopped
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar – or black (Chiangkang) vinegar if accessible
- 1/4 cup sugar – brown or white sugar can be utilized
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- Chinese language Celery (Qin Cai) – for garnishing
Preparation:
Within the conventional approach of making ready this dish, the fish is put in a basin of water and starved for 2-3 days to take away any muddy style.
- Wash or rinse the fish. Make sure that to take away gills, and scales. Utilizing a pointy knife, slice 2 or 3 diagonal cuts on either side of the fish.
- If you wish to make it creative, slice 2 – 3 diagonal cuts on one aspect of the fish. After which on the opposite aspect, you can too slit the flesh from the tail as much as the pinnacle of the fish. Do that by gently urgent on the fish whereas slicing from the tail, and alongside the spine.
- In a big pot, convey the 6 cups of water to a boil along with the scallion and ginger. Make sure that to have sufficient water to cowl the fish so you do not have to show the fish as it might break the flesh.
- Poach the fish for about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, after which put aside.
For the sauce:
- Boil ½ cup of water. The water used to boil the fish can be utilized due to the added flavour from the ginger and scallion. Alternatively, rooster inventory could also be used.
- Add within the soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Simmer over a medium warmth to dissolve the sugar.
- Combine the rice wine and cornstarch in a bowl, earlier than pouring it in to thicken the sauce. Make sure that to stir continuously to keep away from lumps.
- Take away from warmth and season with salt. Black pepper is non-obligatory.
Serving:
Put the fish in a platter and pour the sauce over. For garnishing, put some slices of Chinese language celery (qin cai) on high. You may additionally put a touch of sesame oil or minced garlic earlier than serving.
Others have their very own type of cooking this dish. They marinate the fish in lemon juice and salt earlier than poaching it, whereas others use rice wine as a substitute of lemon juice for the marinade. Some prefer it crispy, so that they deep fry the fish as a substitute of poaching it.
If complete fish isn’t accessible, you might also use fish fillet. Nonetheless the standard Chinese language folks say this it’s unhealthy luck to make use of chopped fish for this dish, particularly in the course of the Chinese language New 12 months.