Red-Braised Yellow Croaker

Ingredients

• yellow croaker (黃魚)
• 1 teacup Jinhua fermented black beans (金華豆豉)
• 1 bowl sweet wine (甜酒)
• 1 small cup autumn-pressed soy sauce (秋油)
• sugar
• preserved ginger in syrup (瓜薑)

Instructions

1. Cut the yellow croaker into small pieces. Marinate in jiang (fermented bean paste) and wine for one hour, then drain thoroughly.
2. Heat the wok and stir-fry the fish pieces until both sides are golden. Add one teacup of Jinhua fermented black beans, one bowl of sweet wine, and one small cup of autumn-pressed soy sauce. Bring to a boil together.
3. Wait until the braising liquid (lu — the cooking essence) has reduced and the color deepens to red. Add sugar to balance, then finish with preserved ginger in syrup. This yields a deep, concentrated umami with subtle sweetness — the mark of proper red-braising.
4. Alternative method: shred the yellow croaker meat finely and add it to chicken broth to make a soup, thickened with a light touch of sweet jiang-water and cornstarch slurry. This too is excellent.
5. Note: Yellow croaker is by nature a rich, full-flavored fish. It must be treated with bold, concentrated flavors — never with a light hand.