Fish stew in an iron pot

Method

1. 01

   Step 1

   One grass carp, cleaned thoroughly. Note: The four main sources of the grass carp's fishy smell are: fish blood, the black membrane in the abdomen, fish teeth, and fish gills.

   

2. 02

   Step 2

   Cut the grass carp's backbone into 8 centimeter sections. This allows the fish to absorb the flavors better. Meanwhile, rub salt on the surface of the fish, pour in cooking wine to remove any fishy smell, and add sliced ​​scallions, spreading them evenly over the fish. Marinate for 15 minutes.

   

3. 03

   Step 3

   Cut the pork belly into large chunks and set aside.

   

4. 04

   Step 4

   Pour the fermented bean paste, dark soy sauce, thirteen-spice powder, salt, and MSG into a bowl, add an appropriate amount of oyster sauce, and then pour in 10 grams of cooking wine. Stir well.

   

5. 05

   Step 5

   Heat a pan with cold oil, add a suitable amount of vegetable oil, then add star anise and dried chili peppers and fry until fragrant.

   

6. 06

   Step 6

   When the oil is about 80% hot, add the pork belly. This step is to allow the pork to render out, making the oil more flavorful.

   

7. 07

   Step 7

   Once the surface of the pork belly turns golden brown, remove it from the water and set it aside.

   

8. 08

   Step 8

   Reheat the lard-rich oil to 8 % of its maximum temperature. First, add the scallion slices to the pan and stir-fry until fragrant. Then, put the marinated grass carp into the pan and fry on both sides. Once the skin is set, place the grass carp in the pan and continue frying.

   

9. 09

   Step 9

   Add the fried pork belly and gently stir-fry it with a wooden spatula. Do not stir the grass carp.

   

10. 10

    Step 10

    Spread the prepared sauce evenly on the grass carp, and pour the remaining sauce with a little water onto the pork belly.

    

11. 11

    Step 11

    Add boiling water, just enough to cover the fish, then add chopped scallions. Note: It must be boiling water!

    

12. 12

    Step 12

    Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.

    

13. 13

    Step 13

    For those who want a thicker broth, you can add two potatoes. The starch in the potatoes will make the broth more viscous.

    

14. 14

    Step 14

    Once the water boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Add the glass noodles.

    

15. 15

    Step 15

    After the glass noodles have soaked up the broth, add chopped cilantro or greens for color. A delicious pot of stewed fish is ready to enjoy!