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Cast Iron Pot Braised Fish

Name: Cast Iron Pot Braised Fish
Prep time: 36 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 96 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 Bighead carp; 2 Star anise; 1/2 Scallion; 7-8 Ginger; 10 Garlic; 3-4 Dried chili peppers; to taste Salt; 6 Soybean paste (doubanjiang); to taste Green pepper or cilantro roots; 1 Beer; 7-8 Pork belly; about 10 Sichuan peppercorns; 1 Firm tofu; 3 Light soy sauce; 1/2 Dark soy sauce; to taste Sugar; 1 White pepper; 1 Cilantro

Other★★ Intermediate96min

Prep 36m ·
Cook 60m ·
2 Servings

IngredientsWhat you'll need for Cast Iron Pot Braised Fish

	Ingredient	Amount	Notes
	Bighead carp	1
	Star anise	2
	Scallion	1/2
	Ginger	7-8
	Garlic	10
	Dried chili peppers	3-4
	Salt	to taste
	Soybean paste (doubanjiang)	6
	Green pepper or cilantro roots	to taste
	Beer	1
	Pork belly	7-8
	Sichuan peppercorns	about 10
	Firm tofu	1
	Light soy sauce	3
	Dark soy sauce	1/2
	Sugar	to taste
	White pepper	1
	Cilantro	1

A delicious Cast Iron Pot Braised Fish recipe.

Cooking StepsHow to cook Cast Iron Pot Braised Fish step by step

Step 1 Detail

Clean the fish: remove innards, scrape the black membrane inside the belly clean, remove gills and teeth. Soak the fish in scallion-ginger water for about 30 minutes.
Step 2 Detail

Over low heat, render the pork belly slices until the fat is released. Add Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and ginger slices first; fry until fragrant. Then add scallion, garlic, and dried chili peppers and stir-fry together. When the scallion and garlic turn golden, add the soybean paste. Turn to low heat and stir-fry the paste until fragrant. Pour light soy sauce and dark soy sauce along the edge of the pot to release their aroma.
Step 3 Detail

Pour in the beer and add white pepper and sugar. You can also add a green pepper or cilantro roots to stew together for a fresh vegetable aroma. After it comes to a boil, add the fish and tofu, then pour in boiling water until the fish is just covered. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat — do not cover the pot at this stage, as the evaporating alcohol and steam help carry away the fishy odor.
Step 4 Detail

After boiling on high heat for 10 minutes, taste the broth — add a little more salt if you prefer it stronger, though normally it should be fine as is. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, then dish out. Save a little broth to mix with rice — absolutely delicious.